A Really Bad Day
by Pepin-Bones
Summary: Lucy and Natsu go out on a job that really shouldn't be that difficult, but all is not as it seems. What turns into a "simple" job, turns into something entirely different and forces the two to come face-to-face with some of their worst fears. Nalu. T Rating for language and situations.
1. Chapter 1

_The usual disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, I just enjoy writing about them. They all belong to Hiro Mashima._

Natsu walked with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, his eyes uncharacteristically downcast. He wasn't paying any attention to where he was going, his feet knew the way, allowing his mind to turn to the less than pleasant events of the day. His mouth turned down in a scowl as he kicked a loose rock out of his way and tried to figure out where everything had gone so wrong.

The day had started out ordinary enough. He and Lucy had arrived at the guild late in the morning, as was usual for them since he hated getting up early. The guild had seemed abnormally quiet and empty – most of the teams were out on jobs due to the sudden influx of requests after the Grand Magic Games. Gajeel was out with Team Shadow Gear, Gray had gone on a mission with Juvia – something that surprised everyone else just as much as it surprised Juvia, the Thunder Legion was nowhere to be found, Elfman and Lisanna were on a mission together, and even Macao, Romeo, and Wakaba were out on a mission. That left a few loafers to loiter around drinking, eating, and talking quietly amongst themselves. Wendy had been curled up on the sofa reading, Erza had been at the bar eating a piece of cake and talking with Mira, and Cana had been drinking from her barrel of wine in her usual spot at the bar. The quietness, the _tameness_ of it all had been more than a little unsettling for the fire dragon slayer.

"Let's go on a job, Luce!" he called, immediately running over to the request board.

Lucy was a little slower than usual, but she quickly joined him at the board, her eyes turned up to the still numerous remaining quests. "Let's do something a little easy, okay?" she asked softly, turning her large brown eyes to him for a moment before returning to the board. "I do need to pay rent, but I don't feel like doing anything too crazy right now," she elaborated.

A little surprised at Lucy's lack of excitement for jewels, Natsu had simply nodded, turning to look for a job similar to what she was asking for. "Okay," he agreed easily, his hand on his chin as his eyes narrowed.

"What about this?" Happy called, pulling a request from near the top as he hovered above them. He quickly dropped it into Natsu's waiting hands.

" _Please help. A small band of robbers have been terrorizing our library for weeks, trashing the books and stealing some of our more valuable works. We could not make a request sooner due to our lack of funds, but please help. We will offer as much as we can, 150,000 jewels, and a rare book of your choice,"_ Lucy read aloud, peering over Natsu's shoulder. "This is perfect!" she exclaimed a second later, snatching it out of his hands.

The job didn't sound particularly exciting, but there was a chance for a fight, and Lucy would get a book out of the deal, so it couldn't be that bad. "Where is it?" Natsu asked the inevitable question, feeling a sense of dread worming into his stomach as he thought about having to ride the train.

Lucy's eyes scanned the request and when her face lit up he felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Not far at all! We can walk and be there in a few hours tops!"

Now it was Natsu's turn to snatch the request from her, a wide grin spanning his face. "Perfect! Let's do it, Luce!" he called, immediately putting his hand up for her to smack it. She quickly did, her cheeks turning pink for a moment, before he turned to hand the request in to Mira.

"We're taking a job, Mira," Lucy explained as they came to the bar. Mira looked at them with her usual sweet smile, her eyes practically closed as she reached out for the request.

Erza leaned forward to read the request upside down before spinning slightly on the stool to look at her two comrades. "You two going to need any help?" she asked, one eyebrow raised. Like Natsu, the guild's unnatural quietness had her feeling on edge.

"Nah, Lucy and I got this," Natsu immediately dismissed.

Lucy blushed, clasped her hands behind her back, and looked at her boots. "Plus, it's not a very big reward since it's an easier job, and I need to pay rent."

 _So basically you don't want to split the reward three ways,_ Erza translated in her head, but she still smiled. "Very well, then. Be safe."

Mira had just finished adding the request to the logbook. "All set!" she said, giving them another smile. It was as Natsu and Lucy turned to leave that she added, "If you end up needing a place to stay while you're there, there is a wonderful inn called the Moon Star. I think you two would like it!"

Erza gaped at Mira's brazenness, Lucy's expression very similar as she turned around with her mouth open and her eyes wide. Once she shut her mouth, her cheeks turned a deep red. Natsu scoffed and waved Mira's comment off. "Why would we be worried about that?"

"He's such an idiot," Erza mumbled after the door to the guild had closed behind the two retreating wizards. She turned back to her cake still shaking her head, while Mira continued to smile as she turned to fetch something else to clean.

* * *

They had been on the road for just over an hour when Natsu's stomach started growling. "Ugh," he whined, clutching his empty stomach. "When are we going to eat?"

"We just ate an hour ago, Natsu," Lucy chastised, studiously ignoring him as she kept her eyes forward. They were headed toward the mountains and her eyes were on the skies above. "You think it's going to rain?" she asked suddenly, feeling a chill.

Natsu stopped clutching his complaining belly and laced his fingertips behind his head. His eyes traveled up the back of Lucy as her pace slowed in front of him, before his cheeks grew hot and he quickly looked up at the sky. Thick, gray clouds were descending, casting their surroundings in a soft shadow from their darkness. A breeze was picking up, though it wasn't uncomfortable, but when he sniffed, he could smell rain. "Yep," he answered simply, with a shrug.

Lucy immediately started digging in her bag. "Damn it," she grumbled, "I didn't bring an umbrella."

"Don't worry, Luce." He elbowed her in the side softly and offered her a smile. She seemed to get worried a lot easier now that the Grand Magic Games were over. She didn't smile quite as readily as she used to, and he hated it. He loved it when she smiled. "We'll just keep walking until we come to the next village, and we'll hole up and wait the storm out. Okay?"

Her large brown eyes were soft and appreciative when she looked up at him, and she smiled softly before nodding. "Okay."

Happy, hovering just over Natsu's shoulder, started snickering. Without looking at him, Natsu swung his arm, brushing the Exceed away with just enough force that he was flown backwards nearly fifty feet, but still remained unharmed. Before Happy had even stopped his backward momentum, Natsu and Lucy had started forward once more without so much as a glance in his direction.

"What the hell, Natsu?" Happy raged, flying forward as fast as he could with his head lowered, meaning to ram his head into Natsu's back. A dark chuckle resonating from beside the road caused him to pause.

Natsu's sensitive ears also heard the chuckle, his nostrils immediately flaring as he searched for an unknown scent. Lucy still hadn't heard it, and kept walking until he reached out and grabbed her wrist, his firm grip immediately bringing her to a stop.

"Natsu?" she asked, just as a large black shape rushed them from the bushes beside the road. Even with his reflexes, the attack caught Natsu off guard and the two of them went sprawling.

"Ow!" Lucy cried, coming to rest on her butt after several tumbles through the dirt.

"Damn it!" Natsu growled. He had managed to turn himself around and land on his feet, one hand still touching the ground for balance as flames suddenly enveloped his body. "What the hell?" he demanded, his eyes darting to Lucy for a moment before returning to the black blob before them. How did something with no shape do so much damage?

"Oops, sorry," the blob's voice taunted them with a snicker. "I'm afraid I didn't see you there."

"Bullshit!" Natsu snarled. Lucy was getting to her feet behind him, her hand going for her keys. "You just go around attacking anyone you pass on the road?"

Before them, the blob shifted its shape, the blackness reflecting back a near purple color when caught in the right light like a jar of ink would. It never ceased moving, never stopped shifting, as it stared at the wizards before it. "You aren't just anyone." A white spot in the blob shifted, pointedly looking at Natsu's right shoulder. "You're with Fairy Tail, aren't you?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Natsu," Lucy whispered harshly, waiting until he looked back at her. "Look." She pointed at the blob, squinting her eyes. When Natsu looked where she pointed, he gasped, taking a surprised step back.

The blob held no shape and was as dark as it was because it _was_ ink. When they looked close enough, they could see words dissolving into letters, dissolving into ink within. Occasionally a barely visible page of a book would flutter through it, often exiting the ink blob and falling to the ground completely devoid of any markings – the blob was absorbing them all.

"We're looking for some bandits that have been messing with a library not far from here. You know anything about that?" Natsu asked, his lips twisted in a sneer and exposing his slightly elongated canine teeth.

The blob shifted again, wiggling as though pleased. "Oh! So you figured me out, huh?"

Her love for books and concern as an author taking over, Lucy stepped forward, level with Natsu, her keys in her hand. "You're destroying the books and absorbing the ink? Why?"

The blob moved up then down as though shrugging. "It's how I survive."

"You bastard!" Natsu cried, pulling his arm back and charging. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" he called as he connected with the blob… and punched right through it.

His momentum powered him through before he could stop himself, and Natsu wound up on the other side of the ink blob, coated in a dark layer of the liquid.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, a wave of shock rolling over her to see his flames extinguished so easily. Gritting her teeth together, she whipped a key out. "Open! Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!" A magic circle appeared under her feet as a _ding-dong_ rang out around them. Virgo appeared with a poof, bowing forward slightly as she looked at Lucy, then at the ink blob that held Lucy's gaze.

"Would you like to punish me, Princess?"

"No, punish that! Bury that thing!"

Without a word, Virgo disappeared with a spin, creating a hole in front of Lucy and reemerging just as the blob disappeared down another hole. Virgo hovered over the hole she made, peering into the darkness that held the blob captive. Before she could disappear, Lucy called forth another spirit. "Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!" Another magic circle appeared under her feet and when the _ding-dong_ sounded, this time Loke stood before her, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"This thing bothering you, Lucy?"

"Finish it!"

Smiling, Loke burst forward in a flash of light. "Nebulus impact!" he called, bringing his hands together in front of his chest and pointing them at the hole Virgo had dug. Yellow light exploded from his hands, droplets of ink splattering into the air around them.

Natsu stood behind the hole, watching Lucy fight this battle on her own with his eyes wide. His lips melted into a proud smile as he stood, his feet braced wide and ready to fight, but letting her have her moment. When ink exploded from the hole, it splattered all around them. A few blank pages fluttered to the ground but a few of them still had remnants of the writing that once covered them. There was no sign of the blob.

"Is that it?" Loke asked, walking to the edge of Virgo's hole and peering into it.

Virgo, Lucy, and Natsu joined him a moment later, each of them looking into the darkness. Natsu and Loke had the best eyes, and should have been able to see anything that might have been there. They saw nothing, sensed nothing. Looking back on it, it seemed _too_ easy.

"All right, Luce!" Natsu cheered, putting his hand up so she could high-five him. She quickly did, a grin crossing her face as she jumped up and down. She was so happy, he didn't have the heart to tell her that she was covered in ink.

"Would you like to punish me now, Princess?" Virgo asked again, her bright blue eyes serious as she bowed before her. Her pink hair and white apron were spotted with black ink.

"Heavens, no!" Lucy shouted. "Thank you, Virgo." The celestial spirit disappeared with a poof, leaving Loke to take her place.

"Can I get a kiss for a thank you, Princess?" Loke asked, leaning forward expectantly.

"Can it!" Natsu shouted, his flaming fist connecting with Loke's jaw and sending the celestial spirit to the ground with a grunt. Lucy rolled her eyes even as her cheeks flushed and her heart felt warm.

"Can't blame a guy for trying," Loke explained with a smile before disappearing.

"You did it, Luce! You defeated that thing all by yourself! I couldn't do a thing!" Normally, Natsu did not like to admit his faults, or even acknowledge that they existed, but he knew how much Lucy wanted to be a valuable part of their team, how much she strove to be just as good at combat as the others, but he didn't think she needed to. She was just as valuable as the rest of them, if not more so in his eyes. Regardless, he saw an opportunity to make her smile and wouldn't pass it up. The light in her eyes, the blush in her cheeks, and the cute way she fidgeted made it all worth it.

"Awe, thanks, Natsu!"

Happy dropped out of the sky in front of her to wrap his tiny arms around her. "You saved the day, Lucy!"

Natsu's smile fell a level when he saw Happy bury his face in Lucy's chest, but it was returned the moment Lucy shoved the blue Exceed away. "Happy!" she shouted, annoyance clear in her voice.

Reaching out to take her hand and get her attention, Natsu smiled. "Want to head on to town and claim our reward?"

"Sure!"

They arrived in town not thirty minutes later, making their way through the abnormally quiet village and to the library. Although the scent of rain still hung on the air, so far none had fallen.

"Hello?" Lucy called as they stepped into the library. Her voice echoed back to them from the stone walls. Many of the wooden shelves that would normally contain books were broken and empty.

"Hey! We came from Fairy Tail! We took care of your book problem!" Natsu shouted with much less finesse.

"Maybe no one's home?" Happy offered, his eyes looking around them.

"Come to think of it, I didn't see anyone on the streets or in any of the shops we passed, did you?" Lucy asked Natsu, feeling worry trickle into her belly as she moved further into the library. Her hand trailed along many of the broken shelves, her eyes taking in the destruction even as she searched.

Frowning, Natsu sniffed the air; smelling only musty books, dried ink, Lucy, and Happy. "I don't smell anyone."

A gasp drew his attention and he turned to see Lucy holding a book in her hands, her eyes wide and her mouth opened slightly in surprise. "What is it, Luce?" he asked, immediately coming to her side.

The book Lucy held was old and worn, the corners worn down so that they were no longer pointed. "I can't believe this is here," she breathed, wiping a hand across the front cover as though to clear it of dust. There was none.

"What is it?" Natsu asked, stepping closer and restraining himself from pulling it out of her hands. She would hate it if he did that.

Lucy looked up at him as though surprised he didn't know, then her face melted into a soft smile. "This is one of the rarest books I've dared to want. _Through the Heart,_ it's called."

His brow furrowing, Natsu gently took the book from her and flipped through the yellowed pages. "Careful!" she shouted, pulling it back from him and clutching it protectively against her chest.

"If it means that much to you, we should take it," Natsu offered innocently enough.

"You mean steal it?"

"The reward did say you would get a rare book."

"But no one is here to actually give us a reward." She was already moving to put the book back where she found it, although it was obvious she hated to part with it. "It wouldn't be right, Natsu." Her brown eyes dared him to try anything as she walked past him, turning to head back outside.

Once she was around the corner and couldn't see him, Natsu looked up at Happy, who held the same expression he did. While Happy kept an eye out for Lucy, Natsu snatched the book off the shelf and handed it to Happy, who tucked it into the small pack on his back. "She'll love it," Happy spoke Natsu's thoughts as they turned to follow Lucy back out into the storm.

They found Lucy on the steps in front of the library, looking down both sides of the street. There was no one in sight. Once Natsu joined her, he sniffed again. More nothing. "This is really weird," Lucy muttered. Thunder from above drew their gazes upward, and just as they turned their faces to the sky, large drops of rain fell from the heavens, splattering Lucy on the cheek before she could look down. "Great," she grumbled.

Natsu had no idea what was going on. How could they get a job request only to find no one there? The town looked perfectly fine, except for being deserted. Lucy was whining about the rain beside him, but he was still trying to wrap his brain around their situation – Lucy was much better at figuring out such riddles. "What was the name of that inn Mira was talking about?" Lucy was asking him.

"What?"

"The Moon Star," Happy offered, his eyes scanning the horizon before he spotted the sign. "Over there!"

Without waiting for acknowledgment from Natsu, Lucy took off toward the inn at a run, Happy flying behind her. Natsu realized what was happening once it was too late. "Lucy!" he cried, launching from the steps to try and intercept the attack.

Lucy turned at the sharp sound of Natsu's voice, and was hit head on by a solid black mass. She and Happy went flying, Lucy immediately seeing stars, as Natsu's resounding roar suddenly filled the air. Blackness took over her before she even landed, but when she did, she landed hard on her shoulder. Happy bounced to the ground just a few feet away from her. Natsu winced at the sight, even as he was charging the thing that had attacked them. "Bastard!" he roared.

The black mass was giggling as once more Natsu's flaming fists went right through it, causing him to spill out the other side. "You never learn, do you?"

"Where'd you go earlier?" he snapped. He was genuinely curious. He hadn't been able to sense any part of the blob before.

"Part of the benefits of being a liquid is that I can break up into smaller pieces and rejoin them together later. That explosion of light only _appeared_ to take me out." It smiled, revealing sharp and pointed teeth. "All I had to do was bring myself back together and track down the pieces you so conveniently brought along with you."

Natsu's eyes narrowed as he realized that the mass before him was a little smaller than it had been earlier – shorter and thinner. But even as he watched, Natsu was suddenly aware that the ink blots coating Lucy's clothes and hair as well as his own, were moving, trickling down their legs to join with the mass before him. Although the rain could be seen creating ripples in the black blob of ink, the droplets simply rolled harmlessly down its sides and into the dirt. "What is this?" he asked, disgusted. "Where is everyone?"

"Hahaha!" the blob laughed, the sound full and loud even against the pelting rain. "That's right, you two said you were here for bandits that had been trashing the library?" It smiled, its teeth shining in the shadows. "Let's just say I have run out of material and needed more."

"But why," Natsu started to ask, cursing himself for not being able to figure it out. "You didn't ask for books," he growled, his hands once more curled into fists. He risked a glance at Lucy, who was still lying as she had landed, but her chest was rising and falling with her breaths. She was only unconscious. _Thank you, Mavis._

"True, I didn't ask for books, but I knew such a request would bring someone who _loved_ books. Someone who could bring me more books or write them for me!"

"Why do you need that if you just take the ink?"

"The more ink I absorb, the stronger I become. The more stories and characters that become a part of me, the more I understand." It looked at Lucy and made a gesture that made Natsu think it was licking its lips. His lip curled up in anger. "And the fresher the better," it added, its voice low.

Again, the blob moved, making its way to Lucy. Natsu's hands burst into flame only a moment before the rest of him did. His hair cast his face in shadow, but his eyes glowed red from the darkness. "Don't you dare touch her!" he threatened with a snarl, launching himself into the sky. "Fire Dragon Talon!" he shouted, doing a flip and extending his leg out as he meant to land on top of the blob. Once again, he passed right through it, his impact shaking the ground, but still placing him between the blob and Lucy, which had been his true aim. _Where's Gray when you need him,_ he grumbled to himself, not wanting to admit that Gray's powers would prove more useful here than his own. "Lucy!" he called to her over his shoulder. She didn't move. "So _you_ wrote the request?" he growled, turning his attention back to the enemy before him.

Cackling laughter rang through the night, accented by a thunderclap overhead that would have made Natsu cringe had he not been so consumed with rage. "Finally, he gets it! Now move so I may take my prize."

Natsu's teeth ground together at the blob's taunt. "I told you not to touch her," he snarled, taking a step forward while his hands spouted flames once again.

"What are you going to do about it?" the blob taunted, weaving its way toward him as though engaged in some odd dance. "You know you can't hit me."

"Maybe not," Natsu admitted, concentrating his flames to his hands. He had a different idea. "But I won't let you hurt her." His voice was low and threatening as he bristled like a dragon protecting his treasure. He was so focused on the enemy before him that he didn't hear Lucy groan behind him and roll herself up, holding onto her shoulder in pain.

Just as the blob made its next weave close to Lucy, Natsu stepped to the side, intercepting it by putting his hands out. The ink immediately swallowed his flames but once he concentrated, focusing his magical power into his hands, the flames flickered to life once more within the ink blob. Once the fire took root, it quickly grew, Natsu's lips parting in a grimace as the blob started to scream in pain. It tried to move back, but Natsu followed, keeping at least one hand inside it at all times, keeping the flames burning as the ink began to boil and evaporate from the heat. What few pages remained inside of it quickly caught fire and disintegrated into ashes. When that didn't satisfy him, he shouted and lightning crackled through him, erupting from the palm of his hand that was keeping his flames alive. Now the blob was yowling as it sizzled, its size rapidly shrinking.

From where she sat in the mud, Lucy peered through the rain at Natsu literally burning the ink blob up from the inside. The look in his eye terrified her, even though she knew he was just protecting her. Just before the ink sizzled into one last puff of black smoke, she felt a sting in her neck, her hand immediately slapping the skin there as though a bug bit her.

"Luce?" Natsu's face immediately snapped in her direction at the sound.

Lucy paid him no mind as she looked at the hand she had slapped herself with as though expecting to see some squished bug. There was only a black smudge.

"Are you okay?" Natsu asked, suddenly kneeling before her and gripping her shoulders in his hot hands.

"Ow, Natsu," she breathed, reaching up to grip her sore shoulder. "What happened?" she asked once he released her.

"That thing came back," he growled, gently pulling her to her feet and into his arms. One arm wrapped protectively around her back, while the other hand held onto the back of her head.

At first Lucy didn't know what to say. His entire body still radiated heat from the ferocity of his flames. His shoulders were practically steaming from the rain that pelted him from above. Even so, she could feel the slight trembling to him, and it made her brow furrow. _Was he that worried?_ "How?" she asked instead.

"Something about it being a liquid," he answered, releasing her to scratch at the back of his neck. He couldn't look her in the eye. "And it hitchhiked on our clothes."

For seemingly the first time since their journey began, Lucy looked down at her clothes, stained here and there by dark splotches of ink. Most of them appeared to have run from the rain, black and gray lines forming on her normally white and blue shirt, and even down her arms and legs. "Awe, man," she whined. "This is never going to come out!"

Natsu cocked his head to the side, smiling that _that's_ what she was concerned about. He opened his mouth to speak again when another clap of thunder boomed above, vibrating the air around them.

At the sound of the crash coming from above them, Lucy jumped and yelped, immediately grabbing onto Natsu's arm. She pressed into him from behind, her cheek against his shoulder, before she giggled nervously and quickly stepped back. "Hey, Luce," he started once more.

"Yeah?" she asked, brushing her hair out of her face and leaving trails of ink and mud in its place.

"The job wasn't real. The blob wrote it to bring someone here so that it could get more ink and stories." He watched as her face fell at his words. "I'm sorry."

Lucy swallowed and tried to smile. Natsu could tell it didn't reach her eyes. "It's okay."

Just then, Happy crashed into Natsu's shoulder, tears flowing down his muddy cheeks. "Don't tell me you forgot about me!"

"Happy!" Natsu cried, prying the blue Exceed off of him before hugging him tightly. "Of course we didn't!"

Lucy snatched the Exceed away from his best friend, briefly hugging him to her chest once more. "Happy, I'm so glad you're okay!" She released him and looked at Natsu.

"Now what?" he asked, bringing his hands up and then back down in a helpless gesture. The trip, the job, and the jewels were all a complete bust.

"Where is everyone?" Lucy asked, looking around them. No one had come out from the sounds of their fight, and the town was just as dead as when they first entered it.

"It never told me that part."

"Let's look for them!" Happy finally suggested, and the three of them started knocking on doors.

Nearly an hour later, they were completely soaked and tired, and still no one was to be found. Even though Natsu had taken his shirt off so Lucy could use it to shield herself from the worst of the rain, they were both drenched. Every door in the town was locked, with the exception of the library. Lucy's shoulder still hurt, and she rubbed it every so often, rolling it around as though to work out the stiffness. Every time he saw her flinch, Natsu would grind his teeth together, still upset at himself that he hadn't been fast enough to protect her. "I guess the library is our only choice," Lucy admitted once the three of them came back together. "Maybe we should just go home." She sounded defeated.

"We could still make our way to the inn," Natsu offered, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Happy's eyes immediately shined as he rubbed his paws together with a dark chuckle. Natsu immediately followed suit, both of them pleading with Lucy to let them have their mischief. "Fine," she allowed. "But I'm not paying for anything the two of you break!"

"Oh, come on! We aren't going to break a thing!" Natsu promised. And then kicked the front door in off its hinges. "Except for that!" he quickly amended, pink suddenly peppering his cheeks.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, Lucy was indeed relieved to be out of the rain. The streets were now pure mud, the going slippery and dangerous, and she was chilled to the bone. All she could think about was a hot bath and a warm bed as she stood just inside the door with Natsu's dripping shirt draped over her head and shoulders. Her arms wrapped around herself and she shivered as Natsu made his way to the counter, ignoring the mud he was tracking inside. As if to chastise him for dirtying the floors, thunder boomed just overhead, shaking the chandelier and making the lights flicker.

"Which room should we get, Luce?" Natsu called with a grin as he jumped over the counter to paw at the rack of keys.

As Lucy approached the counter, the idea that maybe they should get separate rooms only fluttered through her mind for the fraction of a second. Natsu would end up in her room anyway, and she didn't want to be left alone in this strange ghost town.

"H-Suite," Natsu read off the key ring. "Hey, H for Heartfilia, Luce!"

Smiling, Lucy nodded. "Sounds great!" she called, and shivered.

"Come on," Natsu murmured as he came to her side, offering her his hand. His brows were drawn down in a frown as he looked at her.

"This way!" Happy was already calling to them from the stairs.

Pink darkening her cheeks, Lucy placed her hand in Natsu's, welcoming the solid warmth his hand offered, and followed him up the stairs.

Their room was the last one at the end of the hall. Natsu reluctantly released Lucy's hand as he put the key in the lock. Lucy stood beside him, shifting her weight from foot to foot, waiting for him to open the door. His stomach took that moment to resume its growling. "Man, I hope there's something to eat in here," he grumbled as the lock turned and he pushed the door open.

"Wow," Lucy breathed as she stepped inside, momentarily forgetting her coldness as she kicked out of her boots and Natsu pulled his dripping shirt off of her head.

Having clicked the lock and kicked out of his sandals, Natsu turned to see what Lucy was so surprised about. "Uh," he breathed, scratching the back of his neck as a flash of heat radiated through his body. "I think I chose the wrong room."

Giggling, Lucy could only hold her hands in front of her chest and nod, still taking in their surroundings.

"I think H stood for something else," Happy offered.

"Like Honeymoon Suite," she ventured. The bed was large and plush, covered in white sheets and a thick blood red comforter that looked all too inviting. The fireplace was already stocked, a sofa sitting across from it with small end tables on either side. A plush mat in the shape of a heart was just in front of the sofa, as though a place to lay and watch the fire. Lucy's blush deepened as her imagination got the best of her and she imagined what _else_ could be done in front of the fire. A small fridge was in the area that could only be described as the kitchen, where a bottle of champagne sat on the counter with two champagne glasses beside it. The stems of the champagne glasses were wrapped with a ribbon the same blood red color as the bed, the bows situated to form the shape of hearts. Chocolate covered strawberries sat out on a cooling tray on the counter, along with a can of whipped cream. When Lucy felt brave enough to step further into the room, she could see the door to the bathroom standing open, the large claw foot tub dominating most of the space. It was twice as big as the tub she had at home!

Natsu was scratching the back of his neck again. "Should we change rooms?" he asked pointedly.

Turning over her shoulder, Lucy did her best to give Natsu a seductive expression, her lips twisted softly to the side as she pushed her hip out, her back naturally arching and accentuating her chest. "Well, you did say H was for Heartfilia, Natsu, and I, Lucy Heartfilia, demand the best," she drawled huskily, adding a haughty accent to her voice. Her smile widened when Natsu's face fell, his mouth gaping open, and she couldn't help the thrill that went through her heart as his hands dropped helplessly to his sides.

"Wha," he began, his cheeks darkening as his eyes wandered.

Lucy burst into laughter, losing the act and pushing him in the chest. "You should have seen your face!" she teased, then quickly looked away when he frowned at her, feeling a wave of heat come from him that she mistakenly took to mean he was angry. "This is probably their best room, Natsu, let's just enjoy it." Heat crept up her face as she racked her brain for something else to say. "And look, there _is_ food," she amended, pointing at the chocolate covered strawberries.

As Lucy made her way to the kitchen, Natsu was still staring at her, his mouth slightly open and his eyes wide. _What the hell was that supposed to mean?_ He continued to try to wrap his brain around her words, and why his heart had raced at the way she stood when she teased him. These types of things were starting to happen more often between them, even before the Grand Magic Games, but even more so now that the games were over. While he greatly enjoyed the evolution, he didn't quite understand it either. By the time he came to his senses and joined her in the kitchen, Lucy had pulled the door to the fridge open and was peering inside.

"Oh, yeah!" Natsu exclaimed, bending forward beside her and catching a glimpse of what was in the fridge. He reached in and quickly started pulling items out, his stomach's rumbling resuming with new fervor.

"Food!" Happy cried from the air above them. His eyes shined with stars as he saw Natsu set aside several fish.

Lucy looked at the food with an unreadable expression on her face. "You work on the food, I'm going to take a bath."

Natsu looked up at the sound of her voice, his eyes moving to the bathroom that could be seen just over her shoulder. "You sure you're okay, Luce?"

The concern was plain in his voice, and Lucy couldn't help but look into his eyes, the slightly hazel green pulling in her chocolate brown ones. They were standing closer than they normally did, and the moment she realized that, she felt blood rush to her cheeks. _Mavis, have I been blushing too much today!_ "I'm fine," she answered with a smile toying with the corners of her lips, "Just tired and sore, and not getting any money for the job doesn't help any."

"I'm sorry, Luce." His voice was low and melancholy, like he blamed himself. He did.

Reaching out to touch his hand, Lucy brushed her skin to his before nervously pulling her hand back. His lips twitched at her touch, so minutely she almost missed it. "It's not your fault, Natsu. I just want this storm to end so we can go home." _Why is my heart beating so fast?_

Feeling like the mood was shifting into a darker place, Natsu felt his ears burn as he tried to figure out what to do, what to say, to make things better. He had no ideas. "We'll leave as soon as the storm stops."

"Ah, Natsu, what if it's in the middle of the night?" Happy whined.

"If Lucy wants to go home, we'll go home," Natsu snapped.

Lucy caught the way he used her name and not his nickname for her. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she realized why she was stalling and what she wanted so much to say, what she wanted to ask him. _What would he think if I invited him to join me? Wait, why do I even_ want _him to join me?!_ "Thank you, Natsu," she murmured instead, turning and heading for the bathroom before he could see how red her face was getting.

More thunder boomed from outside, causing the whole building to shudder as the wind picked up, howling against the windows. Lucy squeaked when thunder shook the building and jumped, her eyes darting to the window. "I won't hold my breath for the storm to end," she called at him over her shoulder, her voice sounding lighter than it had a moment ago. Natsu could only smile after her.


	2. Chapter 2

_The usual disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, I just enjoy writing about them. They all belong to Hiro Mashima._

"Is Lucy all right, Natsu?" Happy asked, moving to land on the counter before the fire dragon slayer.

Staring at the food without really seeing it, Natsu leaned on his hands on the counter. He distinctly heard the water turn on, and his heart started to race when he thought of what was happening behind that closed door. It made him grip the counter more firmly in his grasp. _Why do I want to be in there with her so badly?!_ He jerked, startled out of his own thoughts when Happy placed a blue paw on his hand.

"She'll be okay," Happy offered in answer to his own question, attempting to smile and cheer up his best friend. "Just wait until she sees your surprise."

Having momentarily forgotten about the book, Natsu smiled and ruffled the fur between Happy's ears. "Thanks, Happy." He pushed off from the counter, looked at the mountains of food before them, and decided to get to work.

Alone in the bathroom, Lucy leaned back against the closed door with her eyes shut, listening to the sound of the bath water running. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she tried to fight back tears. _Why do I feel like crying? Sure, we aren't going to get any money from this job now, but has it really been that bad? Natsu's out there trying to make the most out of the situation, and here I am pouting like a child. We have this awesome room; we could treat this like a vacation!_ Her eyes snapped open as she became aware of the smells coming from behind the closed door and she allowed herself to smile. _He's cooking?_ _When was the last time he did that?_

Pushing herself away from the door, she immediately stripped out of her sopping wet clothes, realizing not for the first time why she was upset about their situation. They were close, sure, and they were even closer than they used to be, but she still found herself wanting more – she wanted to take their relationship to the next level. Even so, she was certain he didn't return her feelings or was too dense to understand them. He was her best friend, which only made the hurt more exquisite, but she wanted, no _needed_ him in her life. So if that meant she had to suffer in silence, pining for something she would likely never have, she would do it. Still, her resolve didn't lessen the pain and tears burned her eyes once again as her heart ached. She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes in an effort to stop the tears and took a deep, cleansing, shuddering breath. "I can do this," she breathed, determined to turn her thoughts around as she opened her eyes. Her eyes fell on a bottle of pink bubble bath on the edge of the tub, and she added a generous amount to the hot water, watching the bubbles form for a moment before easing her cold, sore body into the hot bath.

Minutes passed as she continued to let the tub fill. Her muscles relaxed as she rested her head against the rim of the tub. Once she felt the bubbles come up to her neck, she used her toes to stop the flow of water, retwisted her hair at the nape of her neck, and leaned back again. Even with her legs straight out in front of her, she was still nowhere near touching the other side of the tub. There was enough room for at least three people to fit while barely touching each other. "Who needs a tub this big anyway?" she asked herself out loud. "Guess we really could have shared," she breathed in answer to her own question. Her cheeks warmed at the thought.

Before she could get too comfortable, Lucy rushed through her ablutions, scrubbing the dirt and rainwater from her skin, and attempting to get rid of the stains of ink from the blob. When she could scrub no harder without fear of taking her skin off, she washed her hair with the vanilla scented shampoo. By the time she emerged from the water, her skin glowed a soft pink and she felt relaxed and refreshed once more, despite the few ink stains still marking her skin. Wrapping herself in a luxurious red towel and putting her hair up with another, she stepped out of the bathroom with a smile on her face.

"You really have to try that tub, Natsu. It's amazing," she started, before she stopped in her tracks, her hands dropping to her sides. Natsu stood with his back to her, stirring something on the stove with steam rising around him. At his back, handmade sushi rolls sat on one plate, a fresh green salad resting in a large bowl beside it. The champagne was chilling and open, and the pleasant smell of garlic hung in the air. Happy sat on a barstool with his front paws leaning on the counter, leaning forward with his tail swishing happily. A pile of three raw fish was sitting beside him. "What's this?" she asked, breathless, as she stepped foot into the kitchen with her eyes wide.

Natsu smiled when he turned to face her and Lucy found herself smiling at the pink heart-shaped apron he was wearing. Her heart jumped into her throat when she read the words written in white, ' _Kiss the cook'._ Natsu didn't appear to notice her reaction. "Hey, Luce! I'm preparing a feast!" he exclaimed, snapping the tongs in his hand toward the already completed dishes at his back.

"I can see that." He turned back to the stove. "Thank you," she added, moving forward to touch his arm to get his attention. When his eyes returned to hers, she suddenly found her heart pounding. _I should kiss him. I want to kiss him,_ a small voice whispered in the back of her mind.

Natsu's eyes grew softer as they traced her face, taking in the soft pink tones beneath her eyes, breathing in the soft scent of vanilla that radiated from her skin. A few streaks of gray ran down her face, reminiscent of the ink that had splattered them, but he found the marks only added to her beauty. His heart was beating faster than it normally did, only increasing in speed the longer they looked at each other. Their eyes remained on each other's for a time before Natsu raised one of his eyebrows curiously, uneasy with the feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. Happy snickered behind them and Lucy found her cheeks growing warm. She was the first to break eye contact and in order to break the tension, she poked him in the stomach, right in the middle of the heart of the apron he wore. "I like this color on you," she teased, and dodged the spoon he tried to whack her with.

"Get dressed and we'll eat," he commanded with surprising authority.

Blushing, Lucy clasped her hands in front of her, unaware of what that did to her cleavage. Natsu noticed. "I-I don't really have anything else to wear."

Blood drained from Natsu's face, but he quickly recovered, turning away so she couldn't see his reaction. He could dry her clothes, he did it often enough as it was. He had in fact, done that to his own clothes before he started cooking. Had she really forgotten he could do that? _Ah, she probably doesn't want them stained…. But then Virgo could always give her clothes from the Spirit World. Why doesn't she ask her?_ Rather than puzzle over the mind of a woman, he chose not to dwell on it. He already knew it was beyond him. "This has to cook for a little bit yet. I'll dry them for you."

Lucy put her hands up to stop him, letting one come down to rest on his arm again. She felt eternally grateful to this man; the boy who had led her to Fairy Tail, immediately becoming a permanent fixture in her life that she couldn't imagine being without, and growing into the man that stood by her no matter what. He may be infuriating at times, well maybe a lot of the time, but he could also be sweet and kind. There was no one more loyal than he was. His big heart made up for his denseness. Was it any wonder that she had fallen for him? The thought still took her by surprise, but when she looked into his eyes, she knew it was true. "Thank you for taking care of me, but take care of yourself first for once, okay? I'll find something to wash our clothes in." She pointed to the bathroom. "And I'll finish this. Go take a bath."

 _Is this what it feels like to have a mother constantly telling you what to do,_ he absently wondered as she shoved him to the bathroom. He opened his mouth to argue with her, but she immediately stopped him. "Happy can help me if I need it. Go!"

"But Lucy, how are you supposed to wash his clothes if he wears them in there?" Happy asked, a glint in his eye that made Natsu want to punch him.

"Happy!" Lucy shouted, granting him a Lucy Kick with red in her cheeks. Her eyes met Natsu's for only a moment, making both of them turn bright red.

His ears growing warm, Natsu retreated into the bathroom and stripped, opening the door just far enough to drop his clothes onto the floor outside the door before closing it again. He could hear Happy and Lucy arguing outside and smiled to himself as he turned to ready the bath.

He had scarcely settled into the tub, the bubbles up to his chest, when Happy pounded on the door. "Natsu! What about me?"

"What about you, Happy?" he grumbled, closing his eyes. He could hear Lucy yelling at the blue Exceed, saying, "Leave him alone, Happy!"

"Don't I get a bath, too? We always share!" He paused, then added, "And I got covered in ink too, thanks for caring!"

Natsu opened his eyes as he sighed. It was true. Happy was never far from his side, not that he would change that. But sometimes he needed some time to himself. Sometimes he needed to _think_. "Fine, Happy! Come in!"

He no sooner said the words than Happy flew into the bathroom, moving with such force it was as though he had been flying at the door, waiting to open it all along. When the blue Exceed nose-dived into the tub, splashing water and bubbles in Natsu's face, he grabbed his best friend by the shoulders and shook him. "Damn it, Happy!"

Happy's eyes wavered, his chin quivering, and Natsu could no longer be upset. "I'm sorry," he wailed, not offering an explanation for the interruption.

"Whatever," Natsu grumbled, releasing Happy into the water and leaning back once more. "Wait, where's your pack?" he snapped, afraid the book had gotten wet.

"It's out under the sofa. Lucy shouldn't see it," he answered with a wink.

Sighing, Natsu tried to relax once more, the sound of Lucy humming to herself from the other room soothing. Without realizing it, his thoughts took a turn very similar to Lucy's. He was aware of how they were closer than they used to be, how they seemed to touch each other more than they used to, those touches often lingering longer than usual, yet still not satisfying him. But unlike her, he wasn't sure what any of it meant. He knew his heart raced in her presence, that he wanted to touch her and be near to her, and yet he was suddenly afraid to touch her. He was thinking about things that he was sure friends didn't do together, but try as he might, he couldn't stop. Nor did he really want to. The job being a bust had upset Lucy, even he could see that, and he wanted nothing more than to cheer her up, no matter what that entailed. That was why he stole the book.

Pulling himself from his whirlwind of confusing thoughts, he just barely finished washing before there was a flash of lightning so bright from the outside that he had to squint his eyes, a loud _zap_ reverberating through the air. The lights flared at first then went out, casting everything into darkness. The flash of light was immediately followed by such a loud clap of thunder that he flinched, the building rattling so much that the bottle of bubble bath nearly fell off the edge of the tub. None of this disturbed him as much as the sound of Lucy screaming.

"Luce!" he shouted, launching to his feet as though an enemy awaited him. Flames consumed his hands just as Lucy burst into the bathroom, her eyes wide. She was in such a hurry that she tripped on the towel on the floor and before she could do anything, she was falling. He barely had enough time and presence of mind to stop his flames as she fell into the tub with a splash and another shriek.

Natsu caught Lucy in his arms, keeping her from bashing her head against the back of the tub, even as her momentum knocked him off his feet and splashed water onto the floor. "Wha," he began, feeling like her reaction far surpassed the situation.

"Something touched me!" Lucy whispered harshly into his chest, a tremor running through her. He immediately tensed.

Sniffing the air, Natsu caught no scents that didn't belong there. "Are you sure it wasn't just the storm?" he asked softly, wrapping his arms tighter around her. It felt good to have her there even if she was currently terrified.

Lucy was slowly becoming aware of their precarious positioning in the tub, but for the moment, her fear outweighed her anxiety. She pulled back just far enough to look up into his eyes. While it was still fairly early in the afternoon, the storm had darkened the skies so it practically resembled night – she could scarcely make out his eyes in the gloomy darkness. Regardless, it wasn't like Natsu to question her and it stung. "I'm sure."

Natsu took one hand off her so his flames could grant them a little bit of light. She looked up at him then with wide brown eyes that belied her fear. He noticed she was wearing the pink apron over her towel and it made him smile despite the situation. He wanted to kiss the cook. "I won't let anything happen to you, Luce," he promised.

Her heart in her throat, Lucy smiled and nodded, feeling her cheeks warm as she buried her face in his chest once more. She thought she was imagining things when Natsu smoothed her hair before kissing the top of her head. His resulting warmth told her she had not imagined it, and her smile widened.

"Give me a minute and I'll check the room," he murmured, his voice deeper than usual.

She wanted him to check, but also didn't want him to leave. "Okay," she nodded meekly instead. "I'll wait right here," she added with a nervous smile.

Natsu extinguished the flames from his hand just as he left the tub, quickly wrapping a towel around himself. It took a great amount of effort not to, but he didn't look at Lucy as he soundlessly slipped from the room, inwardly screaming at himself. _What did you just do? Did you seriously just kiss her? It was only the top of the head, yeah, but still! I just kissed Lucy?! What the hell is wrong with me?!_ Even as his mind raced, inwardly panicked at what he had just done, he searched exuding total calm. He returned a moment later after ensuring the door and windows were still securely locked, not finding any signs of anyone. The power came back on just as he entered the bathroom. Shrugging his shoulders, he held his arms out helplessly. "Nothing, Luce."

Lucy lowered her eyes, turning away from him and drawing her knees up to her chest. It had felt so real! She was sure something had touched her. She was so deep in her thoughts, she was surprised when Natsu was suddenly back in the tub, pulling her into the circle of his arms. Although her heart leapt into her throat both out of excitement and nervousness, she sighed as she settled against his chest. His arms surrounded her protectively. It felt so right to be there…

"You know, if you wanted to take a bath with him so bad, all you had to do was say so!" Happy teased, jumping onto the rim of the tub and grabbing a towel.

"Happy!" Lucy and Natsu shrieked at the same time, their faces changing identical shades of red as Natsu splashed him. Happy ignored them and disappeared out of the bathroom. When they looked at each other, Natsu was certain their position surpassed the boundaries of friendship, as he was all but clutching her to his chest, her hands against him as she fit perfectly between his legs. _What possessed me to do this,_ he questioned himself, not sure why he had gotten back into the tub in the first place. With an inward groan, he forced himself to let her go, just as Lucy had to force herself to move out of his arms. She was still covered by her towel and the apron, and even if she wasn't, the bubbles would hide her nakedness; but she still felt incredibly uneasy.

"He's been acting weird all day," Lucy huffed, pulling her eyes from Natsu's as she moved back, but remained in the tub.

Natsu scratched the back of his neck and forced himself to look away from her, but his cheeks continued to darken at her presence. He tried to appear nonchalant, but beneath the bubbles he was definitely not relaxed one bit. "Yeah, it's been an odd day." He paused as he looked at her, sitting up so they were closer together. Something wasn't right. "Hey, are you okay?"

Chuckling, Lucy swallowed nervously and tried to relax. She wasn't sure what they were still doing in the tub together, or why he even got back in for that matter. _Here we are after all, in the tub together, and I find myself over analyzing everything we're doing. Mavis, help me…_ "I'm fine. I just hope the ramen isn't burnt now."

"Meh," he shrugged. "I was more excited about the sushi anyway." He smiled his charming smile that made it impossible for Lucy to stay mad at him.

Lucy tucked her hair back behind her ear and sat up. "Well, I'm sorry I fell on you," she giggled, butterflies fluttering in her stomach as Natsu smiled and blushed. _He's blushing?!_ "And I'm sorry I disturbed your bath." She moved to stand up. "I'll let you be and finish dinner, or what's left of it."

Against his better judgment, Natsu reached up and grabbed her wrist, averting his gaze so that his hair hid his eyes. "It _is_ kind of lonely in here," he breathed.

Lucy wasn't sure she heard right. _Did he just ask me to stay in_ here _with_ him _?_ She looked down at his turned face, trying to read between his words but unable to. "Are you saying you would like some company?" she asked just as softly.

Natsu swallowed. Lucy could see the movement in his neck, and it made her heart start to race, especially when he nodded gently. Without needing to be told twice, she dropped back into the water, keeping only half the distance between them as before, and took the apron and towel from herself. Natsu didn't look at her until he heard the wet _schmack_ of the towel hitting the floor. She was too nervous to look at him, and instead pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them once more. "I thought this tub was too big for one person myself," she admitted, her voice so soft anyone other than Natsu would have had trouble understanding her.

Anxious silence descended upon them. Natsu could faintly hear Happy grumbling under his breath as he took over dinner duty, not that there was much left for him to do. The rain continued to fall outside, the frosted bathroom window making the pelting rain loud as it struck the glass. His heart roared loudly in his ears as his stomach did nervous flips. _Is Lucy seriously in the bath with me? Why am I so nervous that she's here? It's not like we haven't done this before… But this is different… I_ asked _her to be here, and I think I know why… But I_ can't _feel that way, can I? Why would Lucy be interested in_ me _?_

As the silence stretched on between them, Lucy squeezed her legs tighter and tighter, becoming more and more convinced that it was a mistake to stay in the tub. It was a mistake to run into the bathroom period, despite her fear, which seemed so silly now. Her heart was hammering so hard against her ribs, she felt she should be making ripples in the water. Even Natsu, who never seemed anxious about anything, seemed nervous! The air was so fraught with tension it was tangible! _Oh Mavis, what am I doing?! What are_ we _doing?!_

Without thinking about it, Lucy rubbed her neck, where she had felt something bite her earlier. She hadn't been able to see anything when she looked in the mirror, but she couldn't be sure it wasn't just because of the angle. It also happened to be where she felt touched earlier. "Hey, Natsu?" She waited until he looked at her. "Earlier, right as you defeated the blob, it felt like something bit me on the neck, but nothing was there." She hesitated, looking into his eyes. "And then when the power went out, that's where I felt something touch me."

His brows drawing together, Natsu turned towards her. He immediately knew what she was asking. "Let me see."

Her cheeks darkening, Lucy gathered her hair at the nape of her neck and pulled it over her right shoulder, turning her back to him while scooting closer. She pointed to where she felt the bite and touch, and said, "Right there."

Natsu narrowed his eyes as he looked at the alabaster skin Lucy was presenting to him. The smell of vanilla shampoo and strawberry bubble bath filled his senses, and he leaned closer in an effort to clear his thoughts. It had the opposite effect as he became aware of the soft rise and fall of her chest with each breath, witnessed the soft pulse of each heartbeat in her neck, and the gentle trembling of her hand holding her hair. _Why is she trembling?_ "I don't see anything," he began, startled to find his mouth nearly on her neck before he pulled away.

Lucy had felt the heat of his breath on her neck and shivered pleasantly. Disappointment traveled through her like a shock when she felt him pull away, the heat of his breath suddenly gone. When his fingers suddenly brushed against her skin, her eyes closed by themselves. "But that doesn't mean something wasn't there."

Her eyes still closed, Lucy asked, "So you don't see anything? No marks or anything?"

Leaning in for a better look once more, Natsu dragged his fingers across the indicated area once again, searching for any change in the skin. He could see nothing more than a smear of ink that had stubbornly refused to be washed away. "Sorry, Luce."

With a sigh, Lucy turned and leaned back against the edge of the tub, staying right next to him. At first he tensed at her proximity, then relaxed, leaning his head back against the edge of the tub just like Lucy. It felt easy. It felt normal. _When was the last time we did this?_

Just as he allowed his eyes to close, lightning flashed just outside the window, immediately followed by more thunder booming overhead; so close and so loud that the room trembled. Lucy yelped and jumped unknowingly into Natsu's arms just as the power went out again, casting everything into gloomy darkness.

His instincts taking over, Natsu held Lucy protectively in his arms, his eyes on the door as though he expected something to barge in on them at any moment.

"Natsu!" Happy shouted from the kitchen.

For once in his life, Natsu didn't want to have to answer his best friend. _Lucy_ was in his arms, and it felt good to have her there. _Lucy_ was naked with him in the tub. _Lucy_ was clinging to him, her skin soft and sweet against his. Even as he thought about it, she was nervously slinking away, slipping off of him. He couldn't let her leave, but how could he get her to stay? "Luce, wait," he began, reaching for her. When she did as asked and waited, he had no idea what he was going to do or say – he hadn't expected her to listen. When she turned to look at him, her eyes nervous and wide, her lips slightly parted, he suddenly found himself moving toward her, pulling her back into his arms, his eyes on her lips. _I'm sorry, Luce,_ he breathed to himself as her eyes drifted closed.

"Natsu!" Happy shouted again, this time slamming the bathroom door open so forcefully it bounced off the wall.

His concentration broken, Natsu bashed Lucy's forehead with his own, completely missing his target, and immediately released her as they both cried, "Ow!"

Happy, realizing what he just interrupted, promptly fled the room, leaving Natsu and Lucy to stare at each other awkwardly, turning as red as Erza's hair as they realized what had just almost happened. Tears welled up in Lucy's eyes as her hand came up to her mouth. Natsu opened his mouth to say something, say anything, but she fled, scarcely pausing to wrap a towel around herself before fleeing the bathroom.

Lucy was gone so fast, Natsu sat staring at the space she had just occupied for a moment before his mind caught up with him. _Damn it! Curse you, Happy!_ The water started to boil with his anger and confusion before he realized it. "Shit!" he hissed under his breath, drawing a hand through his hair and down his face before he rose from the tub. _How do I fix this now?!_

When Natsu emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, Lucy was nowhere to be seen. Happy stood on one of the barstools, a large bowl of ramen cooling behind him, his cheeks pink as he looked at the floor. "I'm sorry, Natsu."

"Where'd she go, Happy?" he demanded.

His eyes wide and wavering, Happy simply pointed at the door to their room. Natsu wasted no time in chasing after her.

"Lucy!" he shouted the moment he stepped foot into the hallway. His nostrils flared as he caught her scent and he immediately followed it. The pleasant scent of vanilla and strawberries drew him to the lobby of the inn. The closer he got, the more he also became aware of a third scent – the salty tang of tears. "Luce?" he asked again, softer this time.

"Go away, Natsu," she grumbled and then sniffed. He found her curled in a ball behind the front desk.

"Why are you crying, Luce?"

Lucy angrily wiped her tears away, refusing to look at him. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, much like she had been in the tub, with her arms wrapped around them. She had her head turned toward the wall, but she could sense him when he got close. "I just want to be left alone."

"Why?" he asked again.

Swallowing, Lucy let out a shaky breath. She wanted to believe what had almost happened in the tub was real, but was just as scared if it was. What would a kiss do to their friendship? Did Natsu even understand the possibilities of what a kiss _could_ mean between them? She was almost too scared to risk finding out. "I just want this day to be over," she breathed, not realizing what the words might mean for Natsu.

Natsu felt like one of Erza's swords had just been stabbed into his gut. He felt like a lance of Gray's ice had pierced his heart. He fell to his knees in front of Lucy, his hands limp in his lap. "Do you want to go home?"

Lucy buried her face in her knees, unable to look at him. "I wish we never came on this job," she mumbled into her knees.

Her words made Natsu flinch and he ground his teeth together against the tears that stung his eyes. _Why did I have to try to kiss her?! I just ruined everything!_ With a sigh, he rose to his knees and offered her his hand. "Come on." He refused to move until she looked at him, his face set sternly so she wouldn't see his pain. "Let's go home."

"But," she began.

"You want to go home. We'll go home." No longer waiting for her to give him her hand, he bent and took it from her legs, pulling her gently to her feet after him. "Come on," he repeated, tugging her towards the stairs once more. Confused, Lucy could do little more than follow him.

Once they were back in the room, Natsu set to work drying their clothes, although if they were leaving in the rain there really was little reason to. "We're leaving, Happy." He said the words shortly and coldly, but Happy could read the pain in his friend just as easily as he could see the confusion in Lucy.

"Right now?" Happy asked, his eyes wide as he looked between the two stubborn wizards before him. "What about the storm? What about the _food?!"_

"Lucy wants to go home, so we're going home," Natsu answered as though it explained everything.

"Wait," Lucy began, "Natsu." When he looked at her, the pain was evident in his gaze and she had to look away.

He would not be dissuaded. Natsu had never been so unsure of himself as when he asked Lucy to stay in the tub with him and then nearly kissed her, but it was quickly turning out to be the worst mistake of his life. True she had stayed, and when he had leaned toward her, she had acted like she wanted the kiss just as much as he did, but then she had ran away and _cried!_ _He_ had made _Lucy_ cry! It was unforgivable in his eyes. He couldn't take it back, but he could give her what she wanted now; and that was to go home.


	3. Chapter 3

_The usual disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, I just enjoy writing about them. They all belong to Hiro Mashima._

And so it was that they had made the journey back to Magnolia in the pouring rain, the storm raging around them. It was a miracle that they made it back at all, let alone in one piece. Rather than stay at Lucy's house, Natsu had dropped her off there, making sure she was safe inside before continuing on to the guild. He needed to drown his sorrows in _something_ and despite the meal he had prepared, he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and now he really was famished.

"I can't believe we wasted all that food!" Happy whined the minute they walked in the door. He had wisely remained quiet the whole way back to town.

"Natsu?" Erza questioned the moment she saw him and took in his glum face.

"What happened?" Wendy immediately asked, coming to his side as though to search for some injury.

Saying nothing, Natsu made his way to the bar and dropped his head onto his hands. Mira immediately fetched him a drink and plate of food while Happy sat at his side, explaining what happened to their comrades. "Where did everyone in the town go?" Wendy asked when he got to that part of the story.

"Wait, you and Lucy almost did what?!" Mira and Erza screeched together.

"It's not like it's ever going to happen again," Natsu grumbled before drinking all of his beer in one gulp.

"Natsu," Erza commanded. He obediently looked at her. "Don't you see what she was upset about?" He shrugged. "It's not that you _almost_ kissed her. It's that you _didn't_ kiss her."

His brow furrowed. "I don't get it."

"Natsu, do you have any idea how Lucy feels about you?" Mira asked, handing him another drink.

"Of course I do! We're teammates."

"It goes deeper than that," Erza corrected.

Erza's words forced him back to the thoughts he had in the tub and his eyes widened. Was it possible Lucy felt the same way? Could she be just as confused by all of this as he was? _Wait, why would she even be interested in someone like me?_

"Let's look at it this way," she suggested, "How do you feel about Lucy?"

"Lucy's my best friend," he immediately answered, pointedly ignoring Happy's pouting.

"And?"

Natsu's eyebrows rose as he raised his hands. "What else is there?"

"You tell us," Mira instructed. "What do you feel when she isn't around?"

 _Like a part of me is missing,_ he answered inwardly. Outwardly he said, "I miss her."

"And when you see her? How do you feel?" Erza prodded.

Hesitating, Natsu looked into Erza's eyes. She would not be satisfied until she got the truth and he knew better than to try and lie. "Well," he fumbled over what to say, "my heart kinda beats fast and sometimes it's hard to breathe," he reluctantly admitted.

Erza and Mira exchanged knowing smiles. "And how did you feel when the two of you were in the bathtub together?" Erza questioned, her eyes all but gleaming.

"Are you sure I should be listening to this?" Wendy asked, her cheeks turning red.

This time Natsu knew he certainly couldn't come out and say _exactly_ what he had been thinking. He turned red, his body radiating nervous heat as he remembered Lucy in his arms. The three around him immediately picked up on the change in temperature even though he fought to hide it. "I wanted her to stay with me," he mumbled.

"Why?" Mira questioned this time.

"Because," his mind raced for a suitable answer, "I like her company."

"Is that why you tried to kiss her?"

He stuttered as he tried to answer, but couldn't. "I would have if not for Happy," he finally snapped, glaring at his blue friend. He felt like his entire body should be glowing out of embarrassment.

Happy held up his paws defensively. "I didn't know you were making a move in there! I was scared!"

"I wasn't making a move!" he argued, his ears burning as he looked down at his drink.

"Then what else would you call it?" Erza quipped.

"I don't-didn't know what I was doing!" he shouted, pushing himself away from the bar. "I wasn't thinking!"

"Then stop thinking and go over there and make up!" Erza commanded. She never thought she would need to tell Natsu of all people to stop thinking.

"What?" he asked, his eyes wide in shock.

"Stop overthinking things! Go over there and _talk_ to her," she explained in a more calm voice.

"Eh, I don't know what to say," he argued, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"Then don't _say_ anything," Mira suggested with her usual sweet smile. "Just finish what you started earlier."

"Mira!" Wendy gasped, turning red.

Erza stepped forward, grasping Natsu's shoulder firmly in one armored hand. "Mira has a point, Natsu. I've seen the two of you. Your feelings are obvious to everyone but each other. Go make them obvious to her."

"Erza," he tried to argue. It was a decision he would regret.

"I don't want to hear anymore excuses!" she shouted, a dark aura surrounding her as a vein pulsed in her forehead. She spun him around toward the door and kicked him forward with a heel in his rear. "You go and make this right or so help me!" she threatened.

Visibly paling at her threat, Natsu put his head down and left the guild to follow her instructions.

* * *

Now, Natsu continued to make his way to Lucy's apartment. How had they gone from their typical morning to such a complete disaster in such a short amount of time? How had everything changed over the course of _one_ day? He had gone over what to say hundreds of times, each thing seeming lamer than the last. He had never felt more inadequate as his steps felt heavier and heavier the closer he got to her apartment. At least the rain had stopped, leaving only the sullen sound of his footsteps to echo through the still night.

The moment he found himself at her apartment, Natsu turned to look at her bedroom window, the window he always came through. It was open, as it usually was, and that small gesture made what he had to do seem slightly less daunting. As he watched the breeze gently blow through her curtains, he took a deep breath, debating whether he should call to her from the street or not. Deciding against it, he lithely jumped to the window and soundlessly stepped inside.

From the moment his feet touched the floor, Natsu could sense something was wrong. Not only was Lucy clearly not present, but the harsh scent of fear hung heavy in the air, along with Lucy's scent. Chairs were knocked over, a vase of flowers shattered on the floor, and Natsu's hands clenched into fists as he bared his teeth in anger. Who _dared_ to touch Lucy? His eyes scoured the room for any sign of who may have taken her and where, his eyes finally coming to rest on her desk, where she could spend hours working on her precious stories. It was the lack of paper there that caught his eye, her usual stack of work in progress gone. In its place, her jar of ink had been turned over, its contents spilling onto the desk and staining the dark wood. That alone fit with the signs of a struggle, but what set the hairs on the back of his neck on edge was the _way_ the ink was smeared across the desk – smeared and ended in a small handprint – Lucy's hand, he was sure. When he approached the desk and touched the smeared ink, his fingertips came away completely dry, like the ink had been blotted up as soon as it was spilled. Was that an accident? He didn't think so.

His hand resting on the desk, Natsu's mind raced. That was when he noticed a small drop that made his heart stop in his chest. Blood. Lucy's blood – he immediately knew by the smell. With a snarl, he turned and immediately jumped from her bedroom window, scarcely touching the ground before he took off at a sprint. He needed Gray.

* * *

"Lucy's gone!" he shouted the moment he burst into the guild.

"What?!" Erza yelled, standing up so fast she knocked her chair over.

"Gone where?" Wendy asked.

"What do you mean, gone?" Mira questioned.

The startling lack of members present did not help Natsu's sense of urgency. He would take each and every member with him if it meant bringing Lucy back safely, even though he didn't know where she was. "I need Gray!"

"Gray's on a mission with Juvia," Cana slurred from the bar.

"Where?!"

"Natsu, calm down," Erza instructed.

"That ink blob has Lucy!" he exclaimed, his fists trembling with the force of his emotion. "My flames clearly aren't enough," he admitted with a grumble, "so tell me where Gray is!"

"I never thought I'd see the day you would ask for him," Erza commented, scarcely suppressing a sad smile. "Warren!"

Warren appeared as asked, putting a hand to his head in an effort to contact Gray.

" _What's going on?"_ Gray asked, annoyance clear in his voice.

" _Lucy's gone!"_ Natsu shouted, unable to help himself. Gray's resounding shock was felt through everyone.

" _Gray, we need your help to find Lucy. Can you come back as quick as you can?"_ Erza explained in a much calmer tone, but her sense of urgency and concern were still clear.

" _Of course, but it's going to take some time. You might want to get started without me. Juvia and I can catch up."_

Natsu looked helpless for a moment before he turned on his heel and bolted from the guild. "Natsu!" Erza called, darting after him. Wendy, Happy, and Carla were hot on her heels, leaving Warren to stand behind dumbstruck for a moment before he ran after them.

Natsu led them back to Lucy's apartment, planning on picking up the scent from there. He and Erza entered through the window while everyone else politely waited in the hallway to be let in. Once they were inside, Erza also quickly picked up on the missing manuscripts from Lucy's desk. Wendy carefully set her flowers in another vase while Warren looked around with wide eyes – he had never been in Lucy's apartment before.

"I can't believe this," Natsu growled. Now that he had noticed it before, he couldn't get the scent of her blood out of his mind and it was driving him mad with fear and rage. "I burned the bastard! It sizzled up into nothing!"

"Natsu," Erza murmured, taking her friend's shoulders in her strong hands. "You need to calm down. You're no good to Lucy like this."

"But it took her! It _hurt_ her!"

"I know. And we're going to get her back."

"We won't let Lucy down, Natsu!" Happy exclaimed from over his shoulder, but his eyes were sad.

With a curt nod, Natsu got back to the task at hand, searching Lucy's scent out and following it into the hallway. It turned outside her door, heading to the back of the building, and escaping out the back door. Another smudged handprint marked where she had pushed the door open. While the others weren't looking, Natsu gingerly touched the still barely wet print; his fingertips coming away gray from the ink. He swallowed, wishing he had done and said so many things differently. When he risked drawing attention to himself, he quickly pushed the door open and stepped out into the damp night, following her scent with his nose to the trail like a bloodhound's, into the city beyond.

They tracked her through the night, jogging and running most of the way in an attempt to make up for lost time. Natsu hadn't been at the guild for long before going back, so they knew she couldn't have gotten far. Regardless, Natsu's stomach clenched tighter with each passing minute. He wouldn't rest until he found her, asking about Gray's progress so often Gray started to yell at him through Warren's telepathy. But even though he yelled at him, everyone could hear the softness in his voice. Not only was Gray also concerned about his teammate, but he also knew of Natsu's undiscovered feelings just as much as Erza did.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when Natsu finally slowed. They were well outside the city now, and had been trekking through the woods leading them back to the village in a rather round about way. "I don't understand," he panted, leaning against a tree and looking toward the village with narrowed eyes.

That was when he saw her. Bound and gagged, she sat slumped against the front steps of the library, her hair in her face as she looked at her feet. She looked dirty and tired, her body practically covered in ink, but otherwise unharmed, until she turned her head to the side and he saw the large welt marring the left side of her neck. The blood that ran down her neck and over her shoulder was so dark it nearly looked black from the ink that mixed with it. It all began where she told him she had felt something just that afternoon, although now it felt like days ago. His blood boiled at the sight.

"Lucy!" he hissed, bringing Erza's attention to where he looked.

Erza's brow furrowed as her brown eyes took in their surroundings. She could see no one other than Lucy, and that didn't sit well with her. "It's a trap, Natsu," she stated calmly, putting a restraining arm out across his chest.

"I don't care."

"We need to be smart about this! If we rush in there, you won't be any help to Lucy."

"I can't just sit here!"

"I'm not asking you to!" she argued with him in a hushed voice. "I just want you to think before you rush out there. We're still waiting on Gray. So far as we can see, Lucy is okay."

"Didn't you see that mark on her neck?" The metallic scent of her blood was filling his thoughts with rage.

Erza nodded. "I did. But Lucy's strong."

Her words made him stand up taller. He knew Lucy was strong, she had proved it more times than he could count. Even so, he couldn't deny the irresistible urge to rush out there and rescue her. He was supposed to protect her, and this had happened under his watch. It was his fault she was hurt. _"Damn it, Gray! Where are you?!"_

" _We're coming as fast as we can, Flame Brain!"_

" _Gray-sama and Juvia are not far,"_ Juvia answered much more calmly.

" _Gray, please hurry,"_ Erza pleaded, her eyes on Lucy as a large blob of black came into view.

 _She's bleeding, Gray,_ Natsu managed to mutter to himself rather than transmit telepathically to everyone through Warren. He couldn't let everyone hear the pain that would come through his voice thinking such words… Even so, he hoped the sense of his thoughts made it through to the man he fought with constantly but still trusted with his life.

"There it is!" Happy whispered, shivering as he pointed at the blob.

"I'll burn it to ashes!" Natsu hissed.

"Oh, because that worked so well last time," Erza argued.

"Natsu, let me try to reach Lucy with my telepathy," Warren suggested, finally speaking.

"Do it."

Warren placed two fingers to his temple once more. His words immediately started echoing through the minds of the others. _"Lucy! Lucy, can you hear me? It's Warren."_

Lucy visibly jumped on the steps from surprise at the voice suddenly in her mind, but she quickly recovered. _"Warren? What are you doing here?"_

" _Lucy! Are you okay?!"_ Natsu interrupted.

" _Natsu?!"_ she nearly shrieked, her eyes looking around her as best she could without drawing attention to herself.

" _Stay calm, Lucy,"_ Erza instructed, putting a reassuring and yet restraining arm on Natsu's shoulder. _"Don't draw any undue attention to yourself. We're here for you. Can you tell us what happened?"_

Lucy struggled in her bonds, her shoulder still aching from their last attack, and now made worse as her hands were bound behind her. Natsu didn't miss her wince and he tensed, Erza's grip on him increasing in response. _"I'm not really sure,"_ she admitted. _"I remember taking a bath and getting ready for bed. Then my neck started hurting. Next thing I knew, I woke up encased in ink."_

" _Your neck?"_ Natsu asked.

" _You woke up encased in ink?"_ Wendy repeated, her lips curled in disgust.

" _Remember when I thought something bit me?"_ Lucy waited for Natsu's affirmation. _"I think it has something to do with that. That's where the pain in my neck started coming from, and where it still hurts now,"_ she added with a slight head tilt as though talking about it reminded her of the pain.

Natsu's eyes widened as he remembered hearing her smack at her neck, then look at her hand as though expecting to see a bug, remembered checking the skin for her later in the bathtub – it was the same spot. There had been nothing there but a smudge of ink. Now the left side of her neck was clearly injured. _What the hell happened? Did something come out of her neck? Something_ had _to have come out of her neck, but what? How?_

" _Where's Levy when you need her?"_ Erza thought, momentarily unaware that her thoughts were still being broadcast.

" _Are you hurt?"_ Natsu questioned.

Lucy looked up and their eyes met. Her cheeks grew warm as his gaze lingered, his concern clear in his fiery eyes, and she allowed herself to feel warmth in her heart. He came for her, despite their argument… _"No, not really,"_ she hesitated before adding, _"But it took my keys."_

" _Your keys?"_ Wendy asked just as the rest of Team Natsu's and Warren's eyes went to Lucy's hip, where her keys could almost always be found. Her hip was barren – she was dressed for bed in shorts and a light tank top.

" _I don't recall seeing them at your apartment,"_ Erza commented, putting a finger to her chin in thought as she tried to recall.

Lucy's eyes drifted shut. Anyone who knew her knew of her deep love for all of her celestial spirits. She was not taking the loss of her keys lightly. _"They aren't there."_ She brought her eyes back up, searching Natsu out in the darkness. _"It took them."_

" _Lucy, why hasn't Loke shown up? Can't he sense when you're in danger?"_ Wendy asked, her soft eyes only widening as her alarm grew. It wouldn't be the first time the celestial spirit had come to Earthland on his own accord.

" _I don't know,"_ Lucy answered honestly. _"Since I woke up covered in ink, I feel like a lot of my magic has been drained. Maybe the ink is keeping him from coming through the gate?"_

" _How could the ink draw power from your magic?"_ Wendy asked from her position behind the bushes.

" _How could the ink do that?"_ Warren interjected with his own thoughts.

Natsu didn't answer. He didn't need to. His scowl only deepened. As his hands curled into fists that now steamed, he ground his teeth together, a growl emanating from deep within his throat.

" _Where'd the blob go?"_ Erza asked, eying Natsu warily.

" _It keeps pacing around the library."_

" _The library?"_

" _Yeah. It keeps mumbling about something missing."_

Natsu and Happy exchanged glances. Could it really be looking for _that_ book?

" _Can you find out what it's looking for?"_

" _I can try."_

"Hey, you!" she tried to call, but she was gagged and only "Uh, ou!" came out. When the blob ignored her, she tried again. "Ey!"

"Will you shut up?! You wizards can be so annoying," the blob groaned.

Now that it was more fully in view, Natsu could see it was even smaller than before. _"Hey, Erza, I think that each time that thing brings itself back together it loses some of itself. This is the smallest I've seen it."_ It was the first thing Natsu thought out loud since hearing of the blob stealing Lucy's keys.

"What are you going on about?" the blob was asking. "If you're going to cause such a racket, at least do it in writing!" Even so, it pulled the gag roughly out of her mouth.

Lucy coughed for a moment to clear her mouth and then said, "What do you want? What are you looking for? Maybe I can help you find it."

"Ha! Like I'd believe you. The book was here until you and that fire freak showed up."

Natsu paled, his mouth falling open. Beside him, Happy fell to the ground with a squeak, tears welling in his eyes as he realized what the blob was after.

"Natsu?" Wendy asked softly, immediately picking up on his distress.

Happy reached into his pack and pulled out the book they meant to give to Lucy. "He's looking for this," Happy reluctantly admitted. "Lucy told us not to take it, but we wanted to do something nice for her."

"Stealing is something nice?" Warren asked, incredulous. Erza punched him without even needing to look at him.

"Should we give it back?" Natsu asked, hope in his voice. "Maybe it'll let Lucy go if I do."

"If what you said is true, Lucy is more valuable to it than you," Erza answered, not unkindly. "Maybe even more valuable than this book. I don't think it will let her go so easily."

"But I have to try!" He snatched the book and ran forward before Erza could stop him. "Hey, ugly!" he shouted, succeeding in getting the blob's attention, as well as Lucy's. "You looking for this?" He held the book above his head, waving it to draw their attention in.

"Natsu?" Lucy gasped, her eyes wide on the book.

"Where did you get that?" the blob snapped.

"I took it from the library," he admitted easily. His eyes turned to Lucy and he added, "I'm sorry, I wanted to surprise you."

Lucy couldn't even be mad. He had done it for her. Her cheeks grew warm but she was so covered in ink no one else noticed.

"How dare you?!" the blob roared, moving with incredible speed toward Natsu. He quickly jumped over it and flipped in the air, landing between the blob and Lucy, his back now facing her. The second his feet landed, he burst his hand into flame, holding the book precariously close to it.

"Don't come any closer!" he threatened.

The blob obeyed. "What do you want?"

"Let Lucy go!" Natsu demanded.

"Done."

"And whatever it is you put in her neck, get it out."

" _This is too easy,"_ Erza cautioned, her nerves on edge.

Lucy looked at Natsu's back, the way his shoulders rose and fell menacingly with each breath. While he held the book hostage in front of him, she knew he wouldn't burn it – not if it was something she saw as precious. But the blob didn't know that.

"Oh, that?" the blob asked with a laugh. Its teeth came out again in sharp black points. "It's already gone. It's served its purpose. Look for yourself."

Not sure he should trust the blob, Natsu glanced down at Lucy. She looked up at him with wide eyes as he took a step back so he stood beside her. She tilted her head to the side, unable to move her hair with her bonds, and he took a closer look at the wound on her neck. It was clear something had burst out from the inside, the black ink mixing with her blood and leaving a dark maroon trail down her neck and shoulder. Still keeping his eyes on the blob, Natsu inhaled deeply and only got the iron-filled scent of Lucy's blood from her wound. Whatever had been there was indeed gone. "What did you do to her?" he growled.

The blob shrugged like it did before, rising and falling as though it had shoulders. "I had to find a way to bring her back here. From the moment I saw the three of you, I knew who would prove the most valuable. There is no mistaking a writer when I see one, and a celestial wizard to boot."

"I won't write for you," Lucy snarled, her chest heaving. Natsu moved just the slightest, his leg now touching her shoulder for comfort. He still held the book over the flames in his hand.

"What did you do to her magic?" Natsu demanded.

The blob shifted, the light breaking through the near opaque surface just enough that a glint of metal was seen in its black depths – Lucy's keys. "Why, I don't know what you mean."

His lips pulling back in a sneer, Natsu lowered the book closer to his flames. "I think you do."

Hesitating, the white spot that represented the blob's eye moved between Natsu and Lucy several times. "It was a side-effect of my ink," it finally answered. "I'm surprised you haven't been more affected."

Natsu paused, remembering how easily his flames had been extinguished during their first fight, and how much he had to concentrate to keep his flames alive during the second. "So your ink can nullify magic?" Lucy asked for him.

Wiggling side-to-side, the blob nodded. "You could call it that." It stilled. Erza hissed from the bushes. "Now give me the book!"

"How do I know you won't pull something again once I do?" Natsu challenged.

Behind the blob, Erza watched the exchange carefully. If physical force did nothing to the blob, there was little she could do here. And if what the blob had just said was true, they needed to limit the amount of contact that occurred between themselves and the blob or risk losing their magic power. _Maybe Wendy…_ "Wendy," she whispered.

"I'm on it," the sky dragon slayer immediately answered, cautiously coming out of the bushes. She was a part of team Natsu for a reason, after all.

"Where is everyone from the town?" Natsu now asked.

The blob laughed, its white eye dancing in its black abyss of a body. "Don't worry about them."

"Where are they?!" Natsu demanded once more.

"If you truly search the library, you will find them. They are where they belong, busy working for me. It's not in my best interest to kill."

"If you have the whole town, why did you need anyone else?" Lucy asked.

"Why, for variety of course."

Lucy frowned at the blob. It made sense to her – different people had different knowledge bases, different writing styles, different tastes, different genres they preferred to write in. If this thing truly fed off the stories in the ink it consumed, the more the better, regardless of the quality. Even so, it made her sick to admit.

"What's so special about this book that you haven't consumed it yet?" Natsu asked, surprising Lucy with his insight. "It was the only thing left in the library."

"Because it's unfinished."

"What?" both Lucy and Natsu gasped.

"In its current state, the book is worth nothing to me. I need a celestial wizard to finish the tale. _Then_ when I absorb the story, my power will increase exponentially! Lucky for me, a celestial wizard happened to walk right across my path."

"But if I give you the book, she's coming with me," Natsu insisted.

The blob hesitated. Its eye disappeared, making Natsu believe it was thinking over their situation. He took the moment to help Lucy to her feet, and quickly removed her bonds, burning through the rope with controlled ease. Lucy immediately hugged his arm, burying her face into his back out of sheer relief. "You idiot," she breathed. He immediately knew she was talking about the book.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Stop that whispering!"

"How did you survive my attack earlier? I thought you were vaporized." Natsu attempted to distract the blob while asking Lucy, _"Can you feel your keys at all?"_

Lucy's eyes were on the blob and the glint of her keys from within. She felt an ache deep in her chest seeing her precious spirits enveloped by such an evil being. _"Barely."_

The blob laughed, bending forward in a fashion similar to a person clutching their gut from laughing so hard. "I hid a bit of myself in your celestial wizard's neck. It was how I could find myself later and bring what was left of me back together." It's white spot narrowed as it glared at Natsu. "Which was no small feat after that shit you pulled!"

Natsu couldn't help but smile, his lips pulling back in what looked more like a sneer than his usual grin.

"Sky Dragon, Roar!" Wendy suddenly shouted from her position at the back of the blob. As it spread thin, being pulled up into the sky with the breeze, Gray stepped out of hiding, having arrived just in time, and froze the entire thing like a black sheet of ice. Juvia added a little water to make sure it would freeze completely. Then Erza stepped forward, brandishing her Purgatory Armor.

"What do we do now?" Erza asked, reluctant to use her weapons on the sheet of ice. Breaking it into smaller pieces clearly hadn't worked in the past and may in fact make it harder to truly eliminate it.

"How do we destroy it?" Juvia asked, peering at the frozen blob, intrigued.

"Should we take it back to the guild to have Levy evaluate it?" Warren suggested.

"Seems a little risky to move it," Erza thought out loud.

Natsu wasn't paying any attention to them. He turned to face Lucy, still holding onto the book, and pulled her into his arms. "I thought I lost you," he breathed into her hair.

Lucy buried her face in his chest, breathing in the cinnamon scent of his flames that still lingered. "I knew you would find me."

"Luce," he began, burying his face in her hair. "I'm so sorry."

She squeezed him tighter, tears stinging her eyes as her heart pounded against her ribs. This time she could hear and feel Natsu's heart pounding just as fiercely as her own. "There's no reason to be sorry," she admonished him.

His hands moved to her neck, then her chin and her cheeks, pulling her away from his chest. "No, there is," he breathed, before pressing his lips to hers before he could back out of it. Lucy momentarily stiffened in his arms and he almost released her, until she sighed and leaned against him, returning his kiss. When he grew bold and cautiously ran his tongue against her lips, she welcomed it, her lips immediately parting beneath his to deepen the kiss.

"Ahem," Gray suddenly cleared his throat from beside them. The six others stared at them with wide eyes and their mouths hanging open; all except for Erza, who was smugly smiling.

"Yay!" Juvia squealed, clasping her hands in front of her chest as she jumped out of joy. "Lucy is no longer Juvia's love rival!"

"I never was!" Lucy yelled back, remaining in Natsu's arms even though her face quickly turned red.

His own cheeks peppered with a blush, Natsu kissed her forehead before turning to the frozen sheet of ice. "We've got to destroy it." He didn't wait for a response before searching out the golden ring holding Lucy's keys. Placing his hand over the ice containing her celestial spirits, he warmed it, melting the ice just enough to wiggle the keys free. Gray immediately froze what little had melted. Upon handing the keys back to Lucy, whose eyes shone with hearts and tears as she clutched them lovingly to her chest, she pulled him into a fierce hug – strong enough that he found it hard to breathe.

"Thank you, Natsu!"

Smiling, he closed his eyes and returned her embrace. "You're welcome, Luce."

Erza smiled crookedly, nodding at Natsu when his eyes finally met hers. "What do you say we go find the rest of the people in this town?"

"Yeah!" Lucy exclaimed with a smile, even as she didn't step out of Natsu's grip.

Erza turned back to Gray and Juvia. "You two stay here and keep an eye on that thing. We'll go search for the townspeople." She pointedly looked at Warren. "We'll stay in touch with Warren's telepathy."

Warren nodded in agreement. Gray stepped closer to Juvia. "You got it."

"You okay to come with us, Lucy?" Erza asked, her eyes scrutinizing Lucy for any signs of injury.

"I can always heal you first," Wendy offered, blushing as she looked up at Lucy and Natsu, their arms still around each other.

Lucy hurt, but she wanted to help finish the job she and Natsu had started. "I'm fine."

Natsu took her hand in his, interlacing their fingers for the first time before handing her the book he stole for her and starting forward. Happy snickered from over their shoulders, but this time it was Erza who silenced him with just a look. Carla, who rarely laughed at Happy's antics and retributions, giggled.

They entered the library a moment later, their eyes taking a moment to adjust to the gloom. "We already went over every inch of this place. How could that blob hide a town's worth of people in here?" Lucy asked, her belly doing nervous flips because Natsu was still holding her hand.

"I never smelled anyone," Natsu added.

Wendy's face fell. She had been trying to sniff them out, but if Natsu couldn't smell them, she certainly couldn't either – his senses were still far superior to her own. "What do we do then?" she asked softly.

Warren was looking around them with narrowed eyes, his two fingers to his temple. He was broadcasting his telepathy, trying to come into contact with anyone close by. "Luce," Natsu started, squeezing her hand gently to get her attention. "If that thing wouldn't eat this book because it's not finished, what happened to your story?"

A blush crept across Lucy's cheeks as she realized he must have noticed her story was gone. She thought he didn't notice such little things… "My story is not even close to being on the same level as this book," she indicated the book she now held clasped to her chest, "so he 'ate' it."

Natsu's blood boiled at the incredible sadness in Lucy's voice. She had been working on that story for months. He stopped walking, turning her so she'd look at him. "Luce," he started.

She waved him off and smiled even as tears stung her eyes and her chin quivered. "Who knows, maybe we'll be able to get it back from him."

"I'll make sure that we do," he promised. Now was not the time to talk about it, but he had to know. "Did you know that book wasn't finished?" he asked, indicating the book in her grasp.

Lucy's eyes fell to the book at her chest. As much as she was in love with the book, she hadn't actually read it before – it had been one of her mother's favorites. All that she knew about the book came from her mother. She had told her there was some trick to the ending, but she hadn't told her what. "I think that's not true," she said after a moment's thought. "My mother read it and she told me there was a trick to it. She encouraged me to read it. I don't think she would have done that had it been left unfinished."

His brow furrowing, Natsu accepted Lucy's answer easily. "So you just have to figure out how to actually read the ending?"

Surprised with his understanding, Lucy nodded. "Exactly."

"And Blob didn't understand that?"

"I guess not," she answered, her brow now the one to furrow.

"Guys, I think I've got something!" Warren called, still in the same position as before.

"What is it?" Erza asked, stepping closer to the telepathic wizard.

Warren's eyes fell to the floor beneath their feet. There was nothing to indicate that the floor was any different there than it was everywhere else, but his eyes narrowed as he looked at it. Then, his two fingers touching his temple, he stepped forward, moving like he was following some unseen signals, and moved to the large bookcase, which happened to be the bookcase Natsu and Lucy had found _Through the Heart_ on in the first place. "They're below," he said simply.

Natsu's brow furrowed, but he loosed Lucy's hand and easily moved the large bookcase out of the way. There, hidden perfectly by where the bookcase had been, was a script written on the floor in wavering dark purple letters. It reminded Lucy of Freed's incantations. "What do we do with this?" she asked, voicing everyone else's concern.

"Where's Freed when you need him," Erza grumbled. "Can you make any sense out of it, Lucy?" she asked, looking at the blonde with hope in her eyes.

Lucy hadn't taken her eyes off the spell, trying to find some pattern, some rhyme or reason to the symbols used. "I might," she breathed, her voice lacking any confidence. "But if I screw it up I might just lock them in there forever."

"Forever?" Wendy squeaked.

"Maybe we should send for Levy after all," Lucy offered, incredibly unsure of herself.

"Or Freed," Warren suggested.

"Ugh, not that Fan Boy," Natsu grumbled, rolling his eyes. Lucy smiled.

"Can you get through to them, Warren? Can you hear any of them down there, let them know we are trying to get them out?"

Warren's eyes closed as he focused, sweat dropping as he tried to get through the spell. "I can't. Whatever he's put on them, I can't break through it."

"Call Levy," Erza finally commanded. "We have no choice but to wait for her."

Lucy's eyes returned to the letters of the spell as she collapsed to her knees. "Ugh, again, I'm useless," she whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

_The usual disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, I just enjoy writing about them. They all belong to Hiro Mashima._

Lucy sat on the floor, leaning against an empty bookcase at her back, her eyes not leaving the wavering purple incantation in front of her. She had been staring at it for so long her eyes burned, but she couldn't bring herself to look away. Somehow she felt responsible for these people being trapped. Who knew how long they had actually been locked under there, forced to work for this mysterious blob, and she had come close to a similar fate herself if it weren't for a certain fire dragon slayer.

Her thoughts turning to Natsu, she slowly blinked and turned her head to look at the man sprawled out on the floor, snoring. Happy lay curled up in a ball near his head, the two of them oblivious to the world as the rest of them took shifts watching the frozen ink blob. Warren had not been able to contact Levy – she was too far out of his reach – but he had been able to contact Mira and she was at work in the guild's library looking for anything that might be of use. She had also sent word for Levy.

"You should get some rest too, you know," Erza's soft but firm voice came from the entrance to the library. She quietly made her way to Lucy's side and lowered herself to the floor, sighing heavily as she rested her back against the bookcase.

Lucy smiled at her friend, grateful for the company, before she indicated the sleeping duo with her eyes. "Those two can sleep anywhere."

"Then go to the hotel. You _did_ already have a room, didn't you?" Erza asked pointedly.

Her cheeks growing warm, Lucy's mouth fell open before she looked at the floor. It hadn't been that long since she and Natsu had been in that hotel room, in that bath… _Does she know?!_

When Lucy didn't answer, Erza smiled and nudged her. "He came to the guild after he took you home and told us what happened. He was really upset."

Pressing her lips together in a thin line, Lucy tried to stifle the butterflies suddenly doing flips in her stomach. In an effort to soothe her nerves, she drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, her shoulder protesting. "We had a pretty big fight right before we left." Her eyes traveled to the sleeping salmon-colored hair mage once more. "It was so stupid," she sighed.

"Most fights usually are." Erza looked at her, her soft brown eyes wise beyond her years, and Lucy was reminded of all the reequip wizard had been through in her life. She had experienced love and loss deeper than most of them could understand – then again, everyone in Fairy Tail had some dark sadness in their past. It was part of what made them who they were. "He was afraid he was going to lose you," she continued when Lucy remained silent, aware of the way she hugged herself tighter at her words. "I've never seen him so distraught."

Lucy swallowed, her heart warming. "I said some things that should have made him angry, but instead he just looked… hurt." She had to swallow again, a lump in her throat as she recalled seeing the fight leave him. He had never given up on anything so easily before, but this time he had, because it was what he thought she wanted. It had been the exact opposite of what she wanted… She had just been too scared to admit it.

Erza sighed again, resting her head against the bookcase and closing her eyes. "Whatever was said is in the past. He loves you, Lucy, even if he's too dense to realize it for himself." Lucy stared, her eyes wide and awed, her mouth hanging agape. Erza finally peeked an eye open at her at her silence and smiled softly. "We've all known for quite some time now. It's really not that hard to see. But you should have seen him. He burst into the guild asking for Gray. _Gray!_ Because he knew his flames hadn't done the trick the first time. I've never seen him admit a fault or shortcoming before, but he didn't even hesitate. He was willing to do whatever it took to get you back safely."

Her heart was warm before, now it was ready to burst, filled to the brim with love and happiness as she looked at the sleeping fire dragon slayer. "H-he did that?"

Nodding, Erza closed her eyes again. "He did." Silence descended upon them, interrupted only by the occasional snore and grumble from Natsu. Lucy dropped a hand to his hair, toying with the locks while he slept like it was second nature. It was.

"I don't know how any of this happened," Lucy breathed, truly admitting her feelings for the first time out loud. Her cheeks immediately darkened.

"I'm sure he doesn't either." She peeked at the couple out of the corner of her eye, Lucy scooting slightly closer to Natsu, her fingers running through his hair easier now that they were closer. His head was right next to her thighs, his outstretched arm practically brushing her skin. "You sure you don't want to go to your room? You'd sleep better there. And you could clean up."

Lucy shook her head even as her eyes drifted closed. Having most of her magic power taken by the blob had left her as exhausted as if she had just fought for hours on end. She wanted nothing more than to sleep, no matter where she was or what condition she was in. She was back with her friends, and that's what truly mattered. "I wouldn't feel right doing that while these people are trapped beneath us."

"There's nothing we can do about that right now."

"I've stared at the spell for what feels like hours," Lucy began.

"It has been hours," Erza interrupted.

Groaning, Lucy looked to the spell once more, her eyes wavering just as much as the symbols, her eyes stinging from the effort. "I've never heard of anything like this before… Something that can absorb ink? Not only that, but absorbs the knowledge and information from the ink as well? How did such a thing even come to exist? It's not natural."

"You think something must be controlling it?"

"Or something had to have _made_ it. How else would you explain it?"

Erza's brows drew down in a frown. "If it hadn't destroyed all the books, I'm sure we could find something here."

Warren strode in then, his eyes heavy and tired. "Gray and Juvia are taking the next watch, then you and Natsu are up, Lucy," he informed them rather calmly. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help."

Erza and Lucy smiled at the telepathic mage. Neither of them had gone on an actual mission with Warren before, their paths always taking them in different directions. He was quieter than their group, but intelligence shone in his eyes and he had proven his strength and resilience more than once. "There's no need to apologize. You've been invaluable, Warren," Erza corrected him with a gentle smile. "We never would have found them if not for you, and Gray and Juvia wouldn't have gotten here in time."

Warren's mouth fell open at Erza's compliment, the whites of his eyes wide in disbelief. "She's right, you know. Thank you, Warren," Lucy added with a soft bow.

Now blood rushed to Warren's cheeks and he had to look away from the two beauties before him. While he usually kept his thoughts to himself, he knew Max and Nab would be jealous of this little adventure of his, regardless of the cause. He was getting to spend close, quality time with some of the strongest wizards in Fairy Tail, and some of the most attractive. "I have an open link up for Levy. I should be able to sense her as soon as she gets within my range. Mira is to let me know as soon as she finds anything of use to us."

Erza nodded and rested her head once again. "Then all we can do is wait."

Following the scarlet-haired wizard's lead, Warren and Lucy likewise rested their heads on the bookcase at their back and allowed their eyes to drift closed. Even just a little bit of rest was better than nothing, especially since the sky was starting to lighten to the east.

* * *

"I got it!" Natsu shouted, jumping to his feet with a small burst of flame from his mouth. "I'll burn through the floor!"

The four others that had been dozing with him jerked, startled awake. Warren wiped a thin line of drool from the corner of his mouth while Lucy slowly pushed herself up from her side – she had ended up curling up next to Natsu for warmth. Erza was on her feet with her sword drawn before Natsu even finished talking, while Happy shrieked and hid behind Lucy. "Natsu, you idiot!" Lucy cried, not able to even open her eyes fully.

"Why didn't we think of that before?" Erza asked, immediately releasing her sword once she realized there was no threat.

"I was too tired to think clearly," Natsu offered as an explanation, earning him a scoff from Erza and a sigh from Lucy.

"What are you waiting for?" Erza snapped. "Do it!"

Without needing to be told twice, Natsu jumped so he stood just before the wavering purple incantation. He stood with his feet spread, his knees slightly bent, and his arms pulled up as though he intended to fight some unseen foe. Then his eyes closed and the wizards surrounding him were aware of the increasing temperature around him. Flames erupted from his feet as he stood, his brow furrowing in his concentration, as the wooden floor began to char and crackle beneath his feet.

"It's working!" Happy cried, leaping into the air to hover above Lucy's shoulder.

Erza, Lucy, and Warren knew better than to celebrate too soon. Even Natsu remained serious, his thoughts on the people beneath them and what possible harm might have befallen them. As the floor beneath him began to pop and sag with the heat of his flames, his lips pulled back in a sneer. The heavy scent of cedar began to hang in the air as the floor burned. Smoke soon rose around them in thick billows and before long everyone but Natsu had to clear out or risk smoke inhalation. When the floor still refused to burst into flames and instead acted like it was melting, Natsu increased his efforts, gritting his teeth as his lips pulled back in a grimace. A deep groan erupted from his throat as he put his hands toward the floor, adding more flames as he cried out from his efforts. Finally, the floor lit, the sudden increase buckling the floorboards, and he collapsed through with a crash.

"Natsu!" Lucy and Happy cried, immediately running forward regardless of the danger. Erza and Wendy followed a moment later – Wendy had joined them when she smelled the smoke, leaving Gray and Juvia to watch the still frozen blob.

Lucy didn't see the hole in the floor soon enough and ran right off the edge, realizing her mistake only when she felt nothing beneath her feet and found herself plummeting to the ground below with a shriek. She landed on something or someone, their body breaking her fall with a grunt.

"Geez, Luce!" Natsu grumbled after getting thrown to the dirt when she landed on his back.

"Natsu?! Sorry!" She pressed her hands into his back in surprise, having landed straddling his waist. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but you're heavy," he groaned, then coughed.

She smacked him, her cheeks burning, before getting up, turning away from him to peer into the dusty darkness. "Can you see anything?"

Rising to his feet, Natsu dusted himself off and rolled his shoulders. Lucy wasn't really heavy – he just always had to give her a hard time about it because he liked making her squirm. Getting a rise out of her was something he had always greatly enjoyed doing, even when it wasn't always on purpose. Even now, he couldn't help but smile at the tightness in her shoulders and the way she clenched her hands, but he pulled his eyes away and looked around them, narrowing his eyes as he pierced the darkness. "I don't see anyone."

Lucy groaned. "Is it another spell?"

Erza suddenly appeared, dropping through the hole to land lithely on her feet in front of them. "Well, did it work?" she asked, already surveying their surroundings. Wendy and Happy followed a moment later. Warren kept watch from above.

"No," Lucy complained.

Raising an eyebrow, Erza turned to look at Natsu from over her shoulder. "Nothing?"

Natsu took several steps forward, heading in the direction of the spell located on the floor above them. "This is where they should be," he indicated. His voice was surprisingly calm and sure.

"But there's nothing there," Erza finished his thought.

Finally able to move properly, Lucy stepped forward, joining her two comrades at the location of the incantation above them. When she reached her hand out, she was met with something invisible, but also smooth and cold. "There's something else here." Her eyes fell to the floor and it only confirmed her suspicions. There was a demarcation separating the far side of the room from the side they currently occupied. Their current side was a mess, covered in ash and dust and debris, while the other side remained in pristine condition with the exception of only minor dust. "I think it's another shield."

Taking her lead, Erza pressed her hand close to where Lucy's was. No matter how hard she pushed, nothing happened. There was no shock or rebuff from touching whatever it was, but there was also no visible incantation or spell to help them decipher it. "What strange magic is this?" she breathed, her eyes widening.

Garnering inspiration from Natsu, Lucy stepped back and whipped out a key. "I've got an idea! Open, Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!" With a flash of a magic circle beneath her feet and the sound of a _ding-dong_ , Virgo appeared, bowing before her, the chains at her wrists clinking together.

"Would you like to punish me, Princess?"

Lucy rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, Virgo." She pointed at the invisible wall. "Can you dig under that thing? There's a spell up there keeping us from getting through and there are some people on the other side that need our help."

Virgo turned to look at the wall with narrowed eyes while Natsu stepped to Lucy's side. "Great idea, Luce!" He bumped into her shoulder with a wide smile that made her blush.

"I got the idea from you," she admitted, her cheeks growing even darker when he looked at her in utter confusion. When his face slowly melted into a smile, a hint of warmth on his cheeks, she had to look away, clasping her hands nervously behind her.

"Of course, Princess," Virgo announced, disappearing with a quick spin into the ground at their feet.

The small group immediately approached the hole Virgo had disappeared into. While they couldn't see her, they could hear her continuing to dig. She kept going, even past the point when Natsu could no longer see her. "Just how far down does this thing go?" Erza asked, her voice soft.

A chill crept up Lucy's spine at Erza's words and she shivered. "How would the Blob know how to put up a spell like this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as her mind raced. _Where would he have read this type of information? Surely the library here wouldn't have spells such as these… He had to have gotten them from a wizard, and a powerful one at that. Does he have help?!_ "I feel like this is a lot bigger than we anticipated," she finally added.

Natsu glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his shoulders tensing at her words. Erza snapped sharp brown eyes at her, while Wendy gasped innocently. Virgo appeared out of the darkness below them, seeming to materialize so quickly from thin air that they all jumped back in surprise. "I can't find the bottom," she panted, sweat and dirt standing out on her normally flawless skin and maid's uniform.

"What do you mean, you can't find it?" Lucy asked, fear snaking around her heart. She unconsciously took a step closer to Natsu.

Virgo swallowed and dropped to her knees before Lucy. "I mean there _is_ no bottom, Princess." She raised bright blue eyes up, and for the first time ever, Lucy saw that Virgo was disappointed with herself, if not downright angry with herself for being unable to deliver. "You _should_ punish me now, Princess," she muttered.

Lucy bent down on one knee and grasped Virgo's shoulder. "No. There will be no punishments, Virgo. You did your best, and that's all I can ask of you. Thank you." She smiled at her celestial spirit when Virgo finally met her eyes. "You can go back now, but please don't be too hard on yourself."

Virgo nodded and bowed her head before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"So much for that idea," Erza grumbled, scuffing her boot at the edge of the hole Virgo had dug.

Virgo's failure and subsequent distress affected Lucy more than she cared to admit. Her heart ached for her celestial spirit, and the longer the villagers were trapped behind that spell, the more her concern for them grew. Frustration bubbled within her chest – frustration that she couldn't do more to free them, to stop the blob in the first place. Without thinking, she whipped out another key and stepped back, calling, "Open, Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!"

The perverted bovine appeared a moment later, mooing and stretching his considerable muscles with his axe over his head, before turning eyes filled with hearts on Lucy. "Luuuucy!" he cried, his mouth falling open when he took in her disheveled state. "Let me help you get your rockin' body out of those dirty clothes!"

Natsu stepped forward, his flames flaring to life in his hand before he punched the celestial spirit, sending him flying. "I don't think so!" he snarled.

Lucy would have been more surprised by Natsu's reaction had she not been so overwhelmingly exhausted. She had no sooner called on Taurus then realized her mistake – she had used too much magic after losing so much of it to the Blob. Her legs trembled, wobbling beneath her weight as her knees suddenly felt like butter. Stars flashed behind her eyes, temporarily blinding her as tendrils of black crept inward from the periphery of her vision. Before she knew it she was falling. She would have hit the ground had Natsu not turned at just the right moment and dashed to her side, sliding under her so that he caught her in his arms with her body landing on his legs. "Luce!" he shouted in surprise.

She smiled weakly up at him, vaguely aware of Taurus slowly lumbering back their way and nursing an angry bruise on the side of his face. "I think I overdid it," she whispered, dropping her head against his chest.

Natsu's grip on her tightened, but he made no move to leave. Erza, Wendy, Carla, and Happy quickly gathered around and he looked up at them with concern in his eyes before glaring at Taurus. He was the celestial spirit he could stand the least, mostly because of the damn beast's lust for Lucy. "You," he growled.

Taurus lowered his eyes, fairly wringing his axe in his hands. "Miss Lucy," he started, his voice calm and quiet compared to his usual brashness. "What can I do for you since you used the last of your magic power to bring me here?"

Lucy had to swallow in order to answer him. She really hadn't been thinking when she called him; the surprised look on the faces of the others clearly spoke to that. "Can you break through the spell?" she rasped.

Taurus turned, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the invisible wall behind them. He stepped away from his mistress then, one hand going to his chin in thought. "What were you thinking?" Natsu ground out, his voice low as he kept an eye on Taurus.

Lucy turned, her eyes level with Natsu's chest, but she could feel him grinding his teeth. She could feel his anger and his concern radiating from him with his flaring heat. It was comforting even if it wasn't supposed to be. She sighed and rested her head against him, allowing her eyes to drift closed as his arms shifted to hold her tighter, curling her protectively against his chest. "I wasn't," she finally admitted.

A loud moo and a crash startled them both, making them jump in each other's arms, and bringing their attention back to the invisible wall Taurus had just struck with his axe. While the axe appeared to have struck nothing, Taurus was visibly shaken – his arms quivering as the axe slipped from his hands. "What is this?" he asked, staring into the wall with wide eyes. When no one could answer him, he bent to pick up his axe and attacked the invisible wall again and again, from different angles and different heights, until he was panting and could scarcely keep a grip on his axe. Only then did he turn back to Lucy with sad eyes. "I'm sorry Miss Lucy…"

Lucy waved him off, her eyes closing as Natsu's warmth enveloped her. Her entire body felt heavy and numb; every movement like moving through quicksand. Her brain tried to work, but her thoughts kept getting jumbled and mixed together. "Thank you for trying, Taurus." Her eyes cracked open. "You may go."

Taurus bowed deeply, his eyes downcast at his failure, and backed away before disappearing with a poof. The others turned concerned eyes to Lucy. Natsu looked up at them like a dog protecting his bone before rising to his feet with Lucy held in his arms. "I'm taking her back to the hotel so she can rest. Keep me posted if anything changes."

No one argued with him – no one would have even if they wanted to. Lucy clearly needed to recover from having her magic power depleted, regardless of how menacing Natsu looked in protecting her. The only one who said anything was Happy, who flew forward and gently placed _Through the Heart_ on Lucy's lap. "In case she needs it when she wakes up," he explained. Lucy didn't so much as stir.

* * *

The next time Lucy opened her eyes, she felt like she was floating. She was surrounded by a strong warmth, an all-encompassing blanket of heat that offered strength and protection that was familiar and comforting. It wasn't until she felt herself being lowered, her hands slipping from their position on her lap, that she realized she was being carried. "Natsu?!" she cried with a start, jerking in his arms so that he lost his balance and they both ended up on the bed.

"Luce!" he cried as he lost his balance. He managed to brace so he didn't land on her, but he still landed over her, partially pinning her to the bed with his body.

Lucy stared up at him with wide brown eyes. "W-what are you doing?" she asked, her voice quivering.

Heat rushed to Natsu's face as he realized the position they were in, but he didn't move. "I was trying to put you to bed. You need to rest." His dark green eyes left no room for argument.

Blinking, Lucy stared at him a moment before looking around the room. They were back in the suite from before! She recognized this bed! "Natsu, w-w-where are we?" she stuttered, blood rushing to her cheeks and making her ears burn.

His own ears suddenly burning, Natsu finally pushed himself away from her. "The room was already open," he explained, feeling like he needed to. "The blob took almost all of your magic power and then you went opening gates," he chastised, as if she had forgotten. When Lucy remained silent, no haughty retort coming to mind, she found herself instead staring at the man before her. Natsu was nervous, which was ironic because he was practically _never_ nervous. He fidgeted, bracing himself on his hand at her side one minute, then sitting back the next, tugging on the leg of his pants, bouncing his leg on the ground, then running his hand through his hair. He _radiated_ heat. When she continued to stare openly at him, he cleared his throat and pushed himself to his feet. "I'll leave so you can get some rest."

The thought of him leaving suddenly left her feeling so panicked that Lucy didn't know what to do. It wasn't so much that she didn't want to be alone; it was that she _didn't want him to go._ He had already pulled the blankets up over her, but she sat up, grasping his warm hand in her cool ones. "No, please don't." Her voice came out soft and quiet, nearly begging in her tone, and when Natsu turned back over his shoulder to look at her, his brow was furrowed with concern. "Don't leave," she finished once his eyes met hers, her voice stronger. Warm blood flushed her cheeks as soon as the words left her mouth, but she forced herself to hold his gaze.

Natsu had to swallow as she pulled on his hand, tugging him back to the bed. "Luce?" he asked, his voice quiet and soft. _This is the last thing she needs right now, Natsu!_ He berated himself inwardly, trying to beat himself into leaving. _You need to get the hell out of here and RIGHT NOW!_

"Stay," was all she said, her eyes dark with unhidden emotion as he slowly sunk to the bed beside her. He sat right next to her, his leg against hers although she was beneath the blanket. His free hand braced himself on the other side of her, crossing her legs in order to do so, so that their faces were only inches apart. Lucy's breath hitched at the sudden all-encompassing warmth and his eyes dropped to her lips.

 _I'm not going anywhere._ He may have said the words out loud, he may have only said them in his head – Natsu didn't know. All he knew was that he couldn't stop looking at Lucy's lips and when her hands slowly released his and slid up his arms, he was lost. His heart stuttered in his chest at her delicate, feather-like touch, and he shivered before closing what little distance remained between them. Her lips were soft and open to his, and the moment they touched, her hands slid over his shoulders to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. A wave of heat rolled off him as their tongues delicately explored the other, still new at this, still shy, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush to him. It was as though her body was made to fit against his – she molded to him perfectly – soft where he was firm, curved where he was angled, and she arched her back, pressing her breasts against his chest as her hands moved to his hair. It wasn't long before their kiss deepened, their lips pressing more firmly, their tongues less shy in their exploration of the other. When they finally separated, they were both breathless, but left their foreheads touching.

"Did you really get upset because I _didn't_ kiss you in the bathtub?" Natsu asked, unable to stand not knowing any longer.

Lucy gasped and tried to pull away, but his arms locked around her. Her face warmed, her cheeks reddening as she suddenly had to avert her eyes. "I…" she breathed, not at all sure how to answer.

Smiling at her nervousness, Natsu nuzzled her neck. Despite the ink and blood, she still smelled like vanilla. She still smelled like Lucy. "I _wanted_ to kiss you," he breathed. "I _asked_ you to stay, remember?"

His breath was hot on her neck and Lucy shivered, her arms tightening around him as her eyes drifted closed. _Is he saying what I think he's saying?_ She screamed in her mind, both excited and terrified of the potential implications behind his words, but then her more practical self butted in. _This is Natsu we're talking about. He probably has no idea…_ Natsu continued his nuzzling, his mouth soft and hot against her cool skin, lighting a path of fire down her neck. A soft sigh of pleasure escaped her as her mind turned to mush. _How is this the same Natsu?_ My _Natsu?_ He interrupted her thoughts when he found her pulse, his lips gently resting over the rapid beat before he sighed and pulled away, a firm hand on her shoulder. "You need to rest, Luce."

Her eyes opened as he pulled away and her lower lip stuck out in a pout. His arm was still around her, and he showed no sign of leaving, but she didn't have the least bit of interest in sleeping, not anymore… "I have a better idea," she murmured, so softly anyone other than Natsu would have had trouble hearing her. When he looked at her with a raised eyebrow, she immediately blushed and lowered her eyes. People were out there waiting for their help, and here she was, thinking thoughts like these…

"What is it?" he asked when she remained silent.

Lucy pointedly looked down at herself. Her clothes were ruined. She was covered in ink from head to toe. Even her blonde hair was a dirty blue-gray from being encased in ink. "I would like a bath, please." She added the please at the last minute, looking up at Natsu with wide, innocent eyes that made him suck in a breath.

Natsu looked at her with his mouth slightly agape for a moment. He had followed her line of sight and took in her appearance, not like he hadn't noticed before. What had him so shocked was the _way_ she said the words, and the _way_ she was looking at him. "Uh," he stuttered, practically jumping to his feet as thoughts rushed through his mind he knew he shouldn't be thinking. "Okay!" he rushed, and ran to prepare the bath, and attempt to calm his thoughts.

Looking after Natsu's retreating form, Lucy put a hand to her mouth to stifle her laugh. She entertained the idea of calling Virgo for some clean clothes, but immediately threw the idea out – Virgo had been through enough emotional torment for the day, she didn't need to add anything to that. Instead, she made her way to the small kitchen and began throwing away the food that she and Natsu (although mostly Natsu) had taken such care to prepare. The only things that were salvageable were the champagne, the chocolate-covered strawberries (because of the cooling tray), and the can of whipped cream. She put them back into the fridge for safekeeping, having to hold onto the counter for balance, before making her way to the bathroom.

Natsu stood before the filling tub with his hands at his sides, staring at the slowly rising bubbly water. He had poured in a generous amount of bubble bath, the scent of strawberries filling the air. Images from the previous afternoon flickered through his mind, only now he didn't fight them. He'd given up trying. _What are we doing? What am_ I _doing?!_ The question repeated itself over and over in his mind, until he was startled from his thoughts with a gentle touch on his shoulder, making him jump.

When Natsu jumped in surprise, Lucy couldn't help but smile. He wasn't easy to take by surprise with his dragon senses. _He must be distracted…_ She slipped her hands around his waist from behind, surprised at how comfortable she felt with such an intimate gesture, and kissed his shoulder. "You said you'd stay, right?" she whispered. He nodded, his brow creased in confusion. "Then share the bath with me," she demanded.

His eyes darkening at her words, Natsu turned to look at her over his shoulder, his cheeks pink. "Luce," he attempted to argue.

She squeezed him and stepped back, dragging her fingers along his sides. _What the hell am I doing?!_ "Come on, Natsu. It wouldn't be the first time."

He watched as she stepped in front of him, keeping her back to him, and pulled her shirt off over her head. Her hair flipped down her back in what would normally be a beautiful cascading wave of blonde if it weren't matted with ink. "Yeah, but," he stammered as she bent and slipped her shorts off. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't watch any more and turned around, feeling like he should be steaming.

Aware of the effect she was having, and excited by it, Lucy hurriedly removed the rest of her clothes once Natsu turned his back and slipped underneath the water. The bubbles did not quite come up high enough yet, so she pulled her knees to her chest, concealing herself completely from Natsu's gaze. "Your turn."

Natsu peeked over his shoulder, his face as red as Erza's hair, before he quickly stripped out of his clothes and joined her, relieved she was facing the back wall. The moment was entirely reminiscent of what had quickly turned into their mishap the day before. _But now Happy isn't here to barge in… Stop it!_ He shook his head to clear his thoughts, squeezing his eyes shut as his hands gripped the edge of the tub so hard his knuckles turned white.

Lucy inadvertently saved him from his thoughts when she groaned, her head rolling back against the side of the tub in frustration. "Ugh! How could you even think of putting me to bed like this?!" she demanded, raising her hands up from the water so he could see how it was already tinted a dark gray from the ink on her skin. It continued to darken even as he watched, the ink seeping off of her skin and into the water as though she were a drop of ink in a clear pool.

Natsu had to lick his lips before he could answer. _That's not all I wanted to do with you covered in ink,_ he thought before biting his tongue. "Sorry," he grumbled instead, smiling crookedly. She looked at him with a coy smile, but it fell when his face grew serious. He reached for her, pulling her between his legs once more, just like he had the previous day. He continued to hold the hand she had been holding up, but his other hand came up to her cheek. "Lucy," he breathed, his voice deep and serious – serious enough that he was using her full name. "You're trembling and you're awfully pale." He hadn't been able to see her skin well enough earlier to tell, but now that some of the ink was rinsed from her skin, he could see she was indeed a few shades whiter than normal.

Relaxing into his touch, Lucy's eyes closed and she pressed her cheek into his palm. This felt so good, so natural, so comfortable. She wanted to share moments like these with him forever. Before she knew it, she startled herself awake, her head jerking up and her eyes snapping open to be greeted by Natsu's wide and startled green orbs. "I'm getting this shit off of you right now," he ground out, scarcely waiting for a reaction from her before grabbing a bath sponge and the strawberry body wash she had used the day before. Had it been under other circumstances, it was an opportunity neither of them would have wanted to pass up, a chance for sensual exploration and an exercise in trust. Now it was strictly medicinal, nearly business-like – Natsu focused on his task and only moderately distracted by the fact that he was scrubbing Lucy's delicate skin so fiercely she was glowing pink.

"Ow, Natsu!" she cried, pulling her arm away from his grasp. He had gently and thoroughly cleaned the wound on her neck first, causing her to suck in a pained breath only once, had already thoroughly scrubbed her back and shoulders, and was now finished with both arms. Things were about to get real… "I can do this myself, you know!"

His cheeks darkening, Natsu leveled her with his eyes. His fierce protectiveness over her shone in their green depths, something Lucy was only occasionally actually able to see. What she didn't know was that he _had_ to do this. He _had_ to do _something_ to help her since he hadn't been able to save her from the cursed Blob in the first place. But how could he say that? Grinding his teeth together, he exhaled forcefully and instead held his hand out. "Give me your leg," he commanded.

"What?!" she shrieked, recoiling from him.

"Give. Me. Your. Leg," he repeated, placing special emphasis on each word. When she refused to comply, he reached beneath the water and grabbed the limb himself, causing Lucy to gasp. At first she tried to pull her leg back, but his grip on her ankle was firm and she gave up when she nearly slipped beneath the water instead.

"You're ridiculous," she spat.

Natsu returned to his task, scrubbing the now gray ink from her milky white skin, marveling at how soft she was in the back of his mind. He completed her calf and foot, daring to go just inches above her knee before switching legs. From the corner of his eye, he was conscious of Lucy turning several shades of red in the process, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. "You did ask me to join you," he argued, cocking an eyebrow up at her.

"Yeah, but," she started, then stopped and bit her lower lip when his hand slid higher up her thigh. He was done with as much of her legs as he was daring to do.

"But what?" he asked, pursing his lips to the side as he tried to contemplate how to go about getting the rest of her.

"B-b-b-but," she stuttered, her face the color of Erza's hair. "I didn't expect you to _bathe_ me!" she finally rushed out.

He scooted closer to her, now that they were facing each other, and lathered up the sponge some more. "What did you expect me to do, then?" he asked, hoping she couldn't see the flush to his own cheeks. Despite the reasoning behind it, he was enjoying the task.

Lucy stared at him, her mouth slightly open, her eyes wide. "Natsu," she breathed.

"Do you want me to do the rest?" he asked pointedly.

As if it were even possible, Lucy got even redder. Her eyes fell down the front of her, still hidden by the bubbles. She had managed to turn off the running water while Natsu scrubbed several layers of skin off her back. _What would he do if I told him to?_ _Should I? Shouldn't I? Dear Mavis, I have no idea what to do!_ Her mind raced, which was more than she was equipped to handle at the moment. "I," she breathed, not knowing what she planned to say once her mouth was open.

Natsu's ears burned, his own face darkening as he took the initiative. Although part of him was screaming in excitement at their current position, the stronger part of him was more concerned about Lucy and wanted her safe. He focused on that, forced the animalistic desire that he had hardly even known existed before back into the corner, pulled her closer between his legs, and closed his eyes. "I'll close my eyes," he promised. And he meant it.

Sucking in a breath for courage, Lucy took his hand that held the sponge and pressed it against her skin high on the right side of her chest, near her shoulder. "I trust you." She did.


	5. Chapter 5

"That's it! Crux!" Lucy cried out, her eyes snapping open as realization dawned on her and she sat bolt upright, or at least tried to. When some heavy force kept her from moving, she blinked to clear her vision at what was pinning her down. Natsu was sound asleep beside her, only his arms were surrounding her, one arm curled under and around her shoulder while the other draped across her waist. She was practically using his arm for a pillow, her own arm casually draped across his waist, and their legs were intertwined. It was an intimate position – more intimate than they had ever been in – and her heart jumped in her throat as she tried to remember what happened after they shared the bath. "Natsu?!" she shrieked in surprise.

Groggy, Natsu grumbled and brushed her hand off his shoulder when she tried to shake him awake. "Just five more minutes," he groaned, rolling and pinning her partially beneath him. He buried his face in her breasts.

"Get off!" she shouted now, relieved when she figured out they were clothed, or at least partially, but still in shock. When he still didn't move, she pressed her hands against his shoulders and pushed. He was dead weight against her.

"What the hell?" Natsu growled, his eyes finally opening. He pulled back in surprise when he found Lucy's wide brown eyes, only inches away from his. "Lucy?!" His entire body stiffened in surprise and to his horror he realized he was practically laying on top of her. A wave of heat rolled off of him, starting from his head and working its way to his toes as he inwardly cursed himself for being in such a position without realizing it. _How did we end up like this?_ "Sorry!" he finally apologized, coming to his senses a moment later and reluctantly leaving her embrace, even if she was trying to shove him off.

Once free of his weight, Lucy sat up beside him and leaned against the headboard, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "I don't even remember falling asleep," she murmured. "I scarcely remember leaving the tub."

Natsu followed her lead and sat up beside her, bracing himself for when she'd notice she was wearing his shirt. "You kinda fell asleep in there," he finally admitted with a nervous laugh, dropping his gaze so that his hair hid his eyes and scratching the back of his neck.

"I what?!" she shrieked, her hands flying to her now bandaged neck and clothed chest. She immediately recognized the shirt as belonging to Natsu. "Then how did I," she began harshly, her eyes darting to him and flashing in embarrassment and more than a little bit of anger. Based on his behavior, and on his promise the night before, she immediately calmed, her cheeks warming along with her heart – she trusted him after all. "Thank you, Natsu."

Surprised that she hadn't hit him, or kicked him, or shoved him from the bed, Natsu gaped at her. "What?"

She smiled, cocking her head to the side so that her hair spilled over her shoulder, a fresh wave of vanilla reaching him pleasantly. She was still dyed gray in several places, including her hair (which now had some gray-blue splotches mixed in with her blonde), but Natsu found the oddity appealing. He knew she wouldn't be quite so pleased with it however, so he decided not to tell her – at least not yet.

"Thank you," she repeated, "for taking care of me." Another wave of heat rolled off of him, this time darkening his face as he shrugged but she only scooted closer to him, pulling his hand between hers. "And for staying with me."

"You never have to thank me for that," he reminded her, his eyes dark and serious.

"I know," she whispered, leaning closer to him and sucking in her breath once her eyes fell to his bare neck and chest. His scarf, which was never far from him, was folded neatly on the nightstand next to the bed.

His hand came up to rest gently upon her cheek, his palm warm. "How do you feel?"

Taking a deep breath, Lucy thought a moment before answering. She had no idea how long they slept, but she felt rested enough, even if her body was still incredibly tired. "Better than I did," she admitted regardless. Natsu immediately picked up on her vague answer.

"Still not 100 percent?"

She slowly shook her head. "No."

Grinding his teeth, Natsu pulled his eyes from her, his hands curling into tight fists. "You should stay and rest some more, but I've got to go relieve the watch. Maybe Warren's heard from Levy or Freed."

"Not without me you're not," she argued, earning her an eye roll from the fire dragon slayer.

"Luce, you just had nearly all of your magic drained. You need to stay in bed. I can send Wendy in for you."

"It's not Wendy I want with me," she retorted, then immediately covered her mouth with her hand once the words left her. _Crap!_

A smirk crossed Natsu's lips at her words, but he forced himself to think of his teammates, waiting for him outside. He had already missed his turn once and this was _supposed_ to be Team Natsu and Lucy's job. He couldn't very well shirk the majority of the responsibility just because he wanted to stay in bed with Lucy. "As much as I want to stay, I really need to get out there."

"Then I'm coming too."

This time when Natsu rolled his eyes, he groaned in frustration. "Can't you just listen?!"

"Can't you?!"

"Damn it, Lucy!"

"Damn it, Natsu!" They stopped yelling at the same time, glaring at each other over heaving chests, their eyes throwing sparks as the air was charged between them, heated with Natsu's intensity. Remembering just what woke her so suddenly, Lucy added, "If you'd let me explain, I thought of something that might help with the spell."

Immediately obedient, Natsu calmed down. "What?"

"Crux."

He blinked, his face blank. "The old cross guy?"

"Yes!" She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "He might know something or be able to help."

"Are you sure you're up for it?" Natsu finally asked, all harshness and anger gone from his voice. He knew Lucy could be just as stubborn as he could, and she was right – the old cross guy just might know something. The problem was that in order to find out, she would have to call him forth, which meant opening another gate. He didn't like the idea of her doing that in her already weakened state.

Throwing the blankets off and slowly rising to her feet, Lucy nodded. "Yes." She turned just in time to see Natsu's eyes wander, trailing down the back of her at the sight of his shirt covering very little of her legs and fitting rather snugly around her hips. A smile worked its way across her lips at the heat that rose in his eyes, now that she knew he actually understood what that heat was. "Are you going to come with me or just sit there and stare all day?"

Shaking his head, Natsu leapt from the bed. "You aren't going anywhere wearing that," he started, murderous thoughts entering his mind at the thought of anyone else seeing her dressed in so little. Lucy had scarcely made it to the couch before her gasp brought him immediately to her side. "Luce?" Lucy stood, her eyes wide and filled with tears, looking down at the couch. When Natsu joined her, he smiled. Loke had sensed her need and left her some celestial spirit garments neatly folded on the couch. As much as he sometimes wanted to punch Loke for his flirting with Lucy, he had to give the spirit some credit. "That was nice."

Lucy picked up the clothes gingerly, as though she were afraid they would break. "I was so afraid to call for Virgo. I didn't want her defeat earlier to weigh too heavily on her, so I just figured I would go without. I never thought Loke would do something like this."

A soft smile gracing his lips, Natsu nudged her with his elbow. "I'm sure Virgo would have done it herself if she could." His smile widened when she looked up at him with a soft, appreciative smile curling up the corners of her mouth. A delicate color of pink dusted her cheeks.

"You're right."

"Of course I am." Without thinking, Natsu bent and kissed her forehead. Something about it felt right, even if Lucy looked up at him with wide eyes when he pulled away. "Now go get dressed."

Her smile grew and her cheeks darkened even more as Lucy bowed softly and disappeared into the bathroom. She had no sooner closed the door than a shriek resounded from within. "Lucy?!" he yelled, throwing the door open with such force the door shook when it struck the wall. His hands were immediately flaming, ready for battle.

"My hair!" she cried, pulling some of the dyed blue-gray strands away from the rest. She looked at him with wide eyes.

The fear immediately left him, and Natsu laughed out of relief and at Lucy's face. Her mouth hung open in shock, her eyes wide and distraught, but she was so adorable. He didn't care what color her hair was, or if it was spotted, as it very nearly was right then. "It's fine," he said with a shrug, still not comfortable enough to tell her that he thought she was beautiful.

"My hair!" she repeated, the shock leaving her to be replaced with anger. "That damn Blob!" she growled, her hands curling into fists that shook.

"Luce," Natsu breathed, stepping forward to grasp her shoulders. "It's just hair." The sharp look she gave him told him he chose the wrong words. "I'm sure it will come out," he tried again. She looked slightly less mad. He took one hand from her to run his fingers through her hair, inhaling as he stirred up the soft scent of vanilla. She sighed softly and he pulled her closer, allowing his hand to rest at her neck. "I think it looks fine," he admitted, feeling his cheeks darken, as he lowered his head to hers as she tilted hers up to him.

Her breath ghosted against his cheek, cool and gentle, and he smiled inwardly as her eyes drifted closed, her hands moving to his waist. His lips were nearly to hers when a knock sounded on the door and he pulled away from her with a soft growl. She looked up at him with a soft smile and pink cheeks that only made the burning in his gut worse when he pulled the bathroom door closed behind him. "Yeah?"

"Is everything all right?" It was Erza's voice coming from the other side. Natsu immediately made his way to the door to let her in.

"Yeah, Lucy's just getting dressed," he indicated the bathroom. It was the wrong choice of words. Erza's eyes immediately swept over his half-naked form, the two towels strewn on the floor, the rumpled bed, and the closed bathroom door and she quickly arrived at the wrong conclusion.

"What the hell did you do?!" she roared, barging into the room and equipping a sword.

Natsu jumped back with a yelp, his mouth agape in his shock as she pointed the sword at him. "What?!"

"I told you to kiss her not jump her!"

"Wha? Huh? You?" Natsu couldn't even form a complete sentence. He simply stood there, his feet braced wide and his knees bent with his hands held up defensively in front of him. Once he tracked Erza's previous eye movements, he immediately started waving his hands in front of him as sweat dropped down his cheek. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute! That's _not_ what happened!"

Erza had already requipped into her Fire Empress Armor. "Then tell me what _did_ happen!" she demanded.

"Erza!" Lucy shrieked, coming out of the bathroom and dropping Natsu's shirt in her shock.

"Lucy!" Erza cried.

"Lucy! Please explain that I did _not_ jump you!" Natsu pled, truly fearing for his life.

" _Jump me?_ What?!" Despite the seriousness of the two wizards before her, Lucy burst out laughing. "Is that what you think happened, Erza?"

Erza immediately requipped back into her normal clothes at the sound of Lucy's laughter. "You mean to tell me you would see what I see and _not_ suspect such a thing?" she asked pointedly.

That stopped Lucy's laughing and she quickly scanned the room. Her cheeks quickly darkened, her ears burning as she lowered her eyes. "I-it's not what happened," she murmured, clasping her hands in front of her.

"See? I told you!" Natsu exclaimed. Erza shot him a look that made him immediately shut his mouth.

Recovered from her shock, Lucy bent to retrieve Natsu's shirt. Meanwhile, Erza launched into an explanation for her actions. "I am sorry for barging in here, but we grew worried about you when no one returned for two hours."

"Were we seriously out for two hours?"

Erza shook her head. "More like three. Gray insisted we give you two some… privacy."

"Gray?" Natsu questioned, an eyebrow raised. He wasn't sure if he should be grateful or irritated by the Ice Mage's consideration.

Lucy stepped in front of Natsu, handing him his shirt in an attempt to distract him. "Erza, I had an idea. It's actually what woke me."

"What is it?"

"I need to call Crux. He has knowledge all throughout the celestial spirit world as well as here. He might know something about the spell or the Blob."

Erza smiled. "Sounds like a great idea. We still haven't heard from Levy, but Mira did say she got word that Levy and the others are headed back." She paused, her eyes taking in Lucy's still pale form and shaky countenance. "But are you sure you can open another gate right now?"

"That's exactly what I want to know," Natsu pointed out, buttoning his shirt.

"What's with you two?" Lucy snapped. "Why are you doubting me?!"

"It's not that we're doubting you. We just want you to be safe!" Natsu argued.

"He's right," Erza quickly agreed, allowing a soft smile to grace her lips at Natsu's mature words.

Lucy lowered her eyes and Natsu stepped forward to squeeze her hand to offer his support. "It's just the one gate and he doesn't use much power. I'll be fine." When she raised her eyes to meet Natsu's, he saw the pain admitting such caused her. She didn't want to appear weak, even before her closest friends. "But let's find the others. I want them to hear what he has to say if he has any helpful information."

Erza turned to head for the door before turning back to them. "I'll gather everyone at the Blob."

"Right. We'll see you there in a minute," Lucy answered before Natsu could say something. Erza left a moment later, leaving them alone once more as Natsu wrapped his scarf back around his neck.

"You sure about this?" he asked as he stepped forward to grip her hand in his. Her hand felt small and cool in his, attesting to the lack of magical power she currently possessed. She didn't know it, but he intended to have a hand on her while she accessed Crux's gate. The old cross man may not require much magic power, but he was going to make sure she would have more than enough anyway.

Lucy squeezed his hand gently in response. "Let's get this over with so we can go home."

He smiled crookedly and led the way to where the others were gathered before the still frozen Blob. It didn't appear that any of the ice had so much as melted let alone shifted, with the exception of where Natsu used his heat to get Lucy's keys. The small depression in the ice was smooth and flawless, offering a nearly perfect view through the ice to the Blob confined within.

"I sure hope the old man has something useful," Gray grumbled once Lucy explained her idea, joining Natsu and Lucy in a small group just beside the Blob. Juvia was at his side. Wendy and Erza were next to Lucy while Warren kept watch. It had been his watch, and so he kept his eye on the Blob, but had his telepathy open so he could see and understand what was being said even if he couldn't watch the whole thing.

"Me too," Lucy admitted, pulling Crux's silver key from her key ring. Natsu's warm hand was suddenly on her shoulder and she looked back at him with a grateful smile. _Natsu…_ she breathed in her mind, before turning back to the key in her hand. ''Open, Gate of the Southern Cross! Crux!" The magic circle that appeared beneath her feet was nearly silver in color, and the _ding-dong_ that resounded was muffled and slower than usual. As soon as she felt the draw on her own power, she could feel Natsu's power flowing through his hand and into her. Warmth emanated from his touch and entered her body, flowing outward and settling in her core before exiting through the key she held. It turned the circle beneath her a slight orange, ruffling her hair as Crux's form shimmered before them a moment before he fully manifested. "Crux!" Lucy cried, running toward the sleeping spirit. Natsu's warmth left her the moment she pulled away from his hand, but she could still feel a warm glow throughout her being.

"Huh?! Yes? Mistress Lucy!" the mustached cross exclaimed as he snapped awake. "What can I do for you?" he asked, his voice already becoming sleepy and droopy.

"Why is he so sleepy?" Erza queried.

Wendy narrowed her eyes, approaching the celestial spirit cautiously as Lucy came forward to inspect the condition of her silver spirit. "Mistress Lucy, please tell me how you are feeling," Crux implored as he hovered in his typical cross-legged position.

Lucy waved off his concern, grateful when Natsu was suddenly at her side once more. "I'll be much better once we get rid of this Blob and free the people of the town," she answered honestly. Crux looked to the frozen blob beside her. "Tell me, do you know or can you find anything about a blob made of ink that absorbs power and information from the ink in books? When he touches us he absorbs our power." She pointed to the library behind them. "And there's an incantation inside there hiding the people of the village. It goes all the way below ground – so far Virgo couldn't find the end of it. Natsu couldn't break through it and neither could Taurus. We need to get those people out of there."

Crux folded his arms across his chest and nodded. "Yes, Virgo, Taurus, and Leo told me about this mysterious Blob, so I have already done some research. But I will need some time to look into the spell you speak of. May I see it?"

"Of course!" Lucy immediately turned and led the way inside the library, where Crux continued to hover in his typical position, his eyes on the wavering purple incantation before he suddenly appeared to drop into sleep – his eyes falling shut and a bubble forming outside his nose.

"What?! He's sleeping at a time like this?" Gray shouted.

Lucy shrugged. "He's searching. Give him a minute."

Juvia curiously stepped forward, tempted to poke the bubble forming from the cross' nose but resisting. "Juvia is very intrigued by this spirit," she admitted, squatting down on her heels in front of it.

Erza turned to look back outside. It was already early afternoon. "Where the hell is Levy?" she breathed. Lucy was wondering the same thing. "I didn't think she was this far out."

Lucy wrung her hands together, worry for her friend creeping into her chest for the first time. "I hope she hasn't run into any trouble."

Juvia stood up. "Gajeel is with her. He won't let any harm come to Levy." Her words rang with surprising conviction.

"What makes you say that?" Gray asked, an eyebrow raised curiously. Lucy allowed her heart to warm for her friend. She knew exactly how Levy felt about the iron dragon slayer.

Juvia shook her hair back from her face with a soft smile. She had always been close with Gajeel, ever since they were members of the Element Four. The two still held a deep respect for each other and cared for each other as close friends. "Juvia just knows," she answered, her smile widening.

Gray _"Tsk'd"_ and looked away, having a good idea where her thoughts were going.

"I've got it!"

"Ahhh!" Lucy cried, jumping when Crux suddenly awoke at her side.

"What is it?" Natsu and Erza asked.

Crux looked up at the wizards surrounding him. "The ink has been tainted with dark magic. It must be purified in order to be defeated."

"How do we purify it?" Gray asked.

Crux looked at Juvia. "You will need your water in its purest state." Juvia nodded, her face set with determination as her eyes flashed. "You will need to heat that water just to the point of boiling without making it boil – losing any of it to evaporation would be counter-productive," Crux said to Natsu.

Natsu nodded, his hands curling into determined fists. "Done."

"When the water is heated to near boiling, it will need to be mixed with the ink." He pulled a scroll out from behind him, as though it had been in his back pocket all along. "You will need to use this spell to purify it. This will rid the ink of the evil entity inside of it." He handed the scroll to Lucy.

Unrolling the scroll, Lucy scanned over the words. She could read them and therefore translate them into words, but they didn't make any sense to her. "I got it." She looked back up to Crux. "Do you know how this ink came to be tainted in the first place?"

"We feel like another wizard has to be involved somehow," Erza offered.

Crux nodded, closing his eyes dramatically. "Indeed another wizard is involved." His eyes opened and he leveled Lucy with his gaze. "Mistress Lucy, you have in your possession a book called _Through the Heart,_ do you not?"

Lucy looked at Natsu before nodding slowly. "I do."

"That story, while it appears to not be finished, takes the skill of a celestial wizard to read the ending correctly. To the untrained eye it looks unfinished, like it doesn't make sense."

"That's what the Blob said," Natsu agreed.

"The act of reading the unfinished, unaltered ending, casts a spell, creating the ink. The will of the person reading it determines the will of the ink."

"That book was one of my mother's favorites. Why would she insist that I read it if it could have such consequences?" Lucy argued.

"Your mother knew you would never harbor such ill will, Lucy," Crux corrected. "Besides, creating the ink alone is not what made this blob so dangerous, and what tainted it. A dark wizard had to finish the job. Most likely, a wizard simply wanted to read the book and couldn't. When that failed, the ink was created, and things escalated from there. Capturing the town and destroying the ink from their books could be their form of retribution." He shrugged. "There are any number of reasons why this wizard did what they did and why the spell has the effects it does. Creativity is not my department." He looked at Lucy. "That's yours."

Lucy was flabbergasted. "How could someone react so extremely just because they didn't like the ending of a book? It doesn't make any sense!"

Erza was the one to argue Crux's point. "People do strange things when spurned, Lucy." Juvia nodded in agreement.

"Any idea who tainted the ink then?" Gray asked, refocusing everyone's questions.

Crux shook his head. "No."

"If we remove the curse from the ink, will the wizard know?" Erza wisely asked.

Crux nodded. "I should think so. And they should not be pleased. The power the ink gains is but a reflection of what the wizard is gaining, so they will be losing out on a lot."

The group of wizards shared uneasy glances before Lucy finally asked, "What about the spell holding the townspeople captive?"

Crux smiled, the smile odd enough to make a chill run down Wendy's back. She stepped closer to Natsu. "Here is where it gets good. The spell holding the townspeople captive is _linked_ to the Blob. They came from the same source and share the same source of power. Each book the Blob absorbed fed into the spell, increasing its power. Once the evil is rid of the Blob, spread the ink over the spell and it should be dispersed."

"That seems too easy," Gray argued. Erza nodded in agreement.

Crux looked at them in shock. "There's nothing easy about it! Purifying the ink in the first place takes precision! A miscalculation or mistake in any step can have the opposite effect, increasing the Blob's strength." He looked at Lucy. "Mistress, you are at the most risk. Reading the spell binds you to it. If anything should go wrong, you will be affected, possibly imprisoned yourself."

Lucy swallowed, but set her face with determination. She pointedly ignored the look Natsu gave her, feeling his eyes practically burning into her with his sense of unease. Erza and Gray were looking at her in much the same way. She wanted to be irritated with them for not having confidence in her, but she knew that's not what it was about – they cared about her and didn't want her to get hurt. "I can do it," she promised.

Her friends, those closest to her, those she loved more than life itself, knew better than to argue with her. They simply stepped closer, Natsu and Wendy each taking one of her hands. Crux looked at them and nodded, his head starting to droop once more. "Very well," he sighed.

"Hey, Cross Guy!" Natsu hollered, startling Crux back awake. "How can we tell who is involved in this spell?"

Crux shrugged. "I could find nothing on that, but I imagine they should not be far. They probably harbor a fondness for books and rich stories, or else this never would have come about."

"So once this is completed, we've got to stay alert," Erza cautioned, relieved to finally feel useful despite the vagueness of Crux's answer. She stepped forward, next to the now sleeping Crux, and looked at each of her comrades in turn. "Are we ready?"

"Let's get this over with," Lucy agreed with a grim smile of determination.

"I'm all fired up!" Natsu agreed.

"Juvia is ready!"

Gray simply nodded from his place next to Juvia, his arms folded across his chest.

"Let's do this!" Wendy chimed in, jumping into the air in excitement.

Warren gave a silent thumbs up, his eyes on the Blob in front of him while the first two fingers of his other hand were to his temple, still searching for Levy.

 _A/N: I hope you've enjoyed this update! Usual disclaimer, I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters. I just love them and love to write about them. Hiro Mashima gets all the credit._


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